Thursday, July 10, 2008

Anyone? Bueller?

Help me out here. In 2006 the Democratic party swept into control of congress. Since that time I can't think of a major victory the Democratic leadership has won. On issue after issue from ending or even limiting the war in Iraq to federal bench appointments to this final issue of FISA "reform" the Democratic-led congress folded to Republican demands like a cheap suit.

Sure, there was an increase in the minimum wage and a devil's deal on aid to veterans but can anybody name a signifigant victory for Democrats since they took power?

16 comments:

Don Snabulus said...

Re: FISA

The law is for thee, not me.

Spirula said...

Since that time I can't think of a major victory the Democratic leadership has won.

a.k.a. dicking off.

Sorry, but I just don't believe this is going anywhere.

And by the way, Ben Slime says evolution cannot explain gravity. What do you say to THAT?! Hunh?! Hunh?!

(video also works as an emetic. SteinBeck, the name is ruined)

Dr. Zaius said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dr. Zaius said...

FY 2008 Emergency Supplemental - H.R. 2642
New GI Bill - Amendment #2 to H.R. 2642
2009 Defense Authorization - H.R. 5658
Tax Relief for Military Families and Veterans - H.R. 6081
Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Reform Act - H.R. 5916
Coast Guard Authorization - H.R. 2830
Terrorism Risk Insurance - Senate amendments to H.R. 2761
Largest Increase in Veterans Funding in History - H.R. 2642
Veterans' Guaranteed Bonus Act - H.R. 3793
Updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - H.R. 3773
The Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, H.R. 4156
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act - H.R. 1284
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - H.R. 327
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act - H.R. 1955
Iraqi Corruption - H.Res. 734
The War Profiteering Prevention Act - H.R. 400
Accountability for Crimes Committed by Overseas Contractors - H.R. 2740
Contingency Planning for Redeployment from Iraq - H.R. 3087
Planning for Redeployment from Iraq - H.R. 3087
Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROS) Act - H.R. 3625
Implementing 9/11 Commission's Recommendations- H.R. 1
Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act - H.R. 3159
Iran Sanctions Enabling - H.R. 2347
Foreign Investment and National Security Act - H.R. 556
Banning Permanent U.S. Bases in Iraq - H.R. 2929
Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Personnel - H.R. 980
Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act - H.R. 2956
State-Foreign Operations Appropriations - H.R. 2764
International Nuclear Fuel for Peace Nonproliferation Act - H.R. 885
Homeland Security Appropriations - H.R. 2638
The Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act - H.R. 2446
Revised Version of the FY 2007 Supplemental Funding Bill - H.R. 2206
The Veterans Outreach and Improvement Act of 2007, H.R. 67
The Returning Servicemember VA Healthcare Insurance Act of 2007, H.R. 612
The Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act of 2007, H.R. 2199
The Early Access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Benefits Act, H.R. 2239
The Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act, H.R. 1470
FY 2008 Homeland Security Authorization - H.R. 1684
Wounded Warrior Assistance Act - H.R. 1538
Rail and Mass Transit Security Act - H.R. 1401
Concurrent Resolution on the President's Escalation Plan - H.RES.63
Extended Unemployment Benefits - Amendment #2 to H.R. 2642
The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act - H.R. 6003
Highway Jobs Bill - H.R. 1195
The National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act - H.R. 5940
The Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act - H.R. 6074
Stopping "Fast Track" for Colombia Trade Deal - H.Res. 1092
The Recovery Rebate and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act - H.R. 5140
Military Reservist and Veterans Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act - H.R. 4253
The Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 - H.R. 3996
Revised Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007/AMT Relief Act - H.R. 4351
The Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 - H.R. 3996
Section 202 Affordable Housing for the Elderly Act - H.R. 2930
The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act - H.R. 2262
Internet Tax Freedom - H.R. 3678
The Trade and Globalization Assistance Act - H.R. 3920
The Small Business Contracting Improvements Act - H.R. 3867
Small Business Investment Expansion - H.R. 3567
Patent Reform Act of 2007 - H.R. 1908
America COMPETES Act: The Innovation Agenda – H.R. 2272
H.R. 2272 combined the following five bills:
The 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act, H.R. 362
The Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act, H.R. 363
The National Science Foundation Authorization Act, H.R. 1867
The Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act, H.R. 1868
The Amending High-Performance Computing Act, H.R. 1068
The SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act of 2007, H.R. 2359
The Veterans’ Programs Act of 2007, H.R. 2366
The Women’s Business Programs Act of 2007, H.R. 2397
The Native American Small Business Development Act of 2007, H.R. 2284
Raising the Minimum Wage - H.R. 2
The Energy Price Gouging Act – H.R. 1252
The No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act - H.R. 2264
Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act - H.R. 1873
Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act – H.R. 1868
National Science Foundation Authorization Act – H.R. 1867
Small Business Lending Improvement Act – H.R. 1332
Employee Free Choice Act - H.R. 800
Regional Economic Development Act - H.R. 3246
Blocking Damaging Medicaid Regulations - Amendment #2 to H.R. 2642
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act - H.R. 6331
The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act - H.R. 5781
Fiscal Year 2009 Budget - S. Con. Res. 70
21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act - H.R. 3021
The Farm Bill - H.R. 6124
Genetic Nondiscrimination Act – H.R. 493
Comprehensive Housing Package/Responding to Subprime Mortgage Crisis - H.R. 3221
The Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Act - H.R. 5522
Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act - H.R. 5613
U.S. Fire Administration Reauthorization - H.R. 4847
The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act - H.R. 1424
College Opportunity and Affordability Act - H.R. 4137
Hope VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act - H.R. 3524
S-MINER (Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response) Act - H.R. 2768
Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act - H.R. 4040
Housing Tax Relief - H.R. 3648
Reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program - H.R. 976
Revised Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization - H.R. 3963
Labor, Health, and Human Services & Veterans Appropriations - H.R. 3043
Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending - H.R. 3915
Transportation-HUD Appropriations - H.R. 3074
Online Child Protection
H.R. 3845 - PROTECT Our Children Act
H.R. 719 - Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act
H.R. 4120 - Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act
H.R. 4134 – Internet Crime Prevention Education Program Act
H.R. 4136 - Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act
The Homeowners’ Defense Act of 2007 - H.R. 3355
Railroad Safety - H.R. 2095
National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act - H.R. 2895
Child Safety Bills
The Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, H.R. 814
The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, H.R. 1699
The Product Safety Civil Penalties Improvement Act, H.R. 2474
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, H.R. 1721
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act - H.R. 2669
Improving Drug Safety - H.R. 3580
The Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 - H.R. 3121
The Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Prevention Act - H.R. 2693
The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act - H.R. 2881
The Expanding Homeownership Act of 2007 - H.R. 1852
Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Reauthorization Act of 2007 - H.R. 2786
The Rural Housing and Economic Development Act of 2007 - H.R. 1982
Section 8 Voucher Reform Act - H.R. 1851
Promoting Life-Saving Stem Cell Research - H.R. 3/S.5
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Act - H.R. 2640
Child Labor Protection Act of 2007 - H.R. 2637
Katrina Housing Tax Relief Act - H.R. 1562
COPS Improvement Act of 2007 - H.R. 1700
Hate Crimes Prevention Act – H.R. 1592
Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act - H.R. 1227
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, H.R. 365
Cutting Interest Rates on Student Loans - H.R. 5
The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act - H.R. 6049
Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008 - H.R. 5351
Energy-Water Appropriations - H.R. 2641
Energy Independence and Security Act - HR. 6
Revised Energy Independence and Security Act - Senate amendments to H.R. 6
Water Resources Development Act of 2007 - H.R. 1495
Energy & Science Bills
Renewable Energy - H. Con. Res. 25
Interior-Environment Appropriations - H.R. 2643
Reauthorizing Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund - H.R. 720
Reauthorizing Pilot Program for Increasing Useable Water Supply - H.R. 700
Select Committee on Energy Security and Global Warming - H.Res. 202
Reauthorizing Sewer Overflow Control Grants - H.R. 569
Advanced Fuels Infrastructure R&D Act - H.R. 547
Repealing Big Oil Subsidies/Investing in Renewable Fuels - H.R. 6
Combating International Drug Trafficking - H.R. 6028
Earthquake in China - H. Res. 1195
North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act - H.R. 5834
Resolution on Devastating Cyclone Nargis in Burma - H. Res. 1181
Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act - H.R. 5715
Congressional Gold Medal for Burmese Dissident Aung San Suu Kyi - H.R. 4286
International Debt Relief - H.R. 2634
The Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act - H.R. 5501
Office of Congressional Ethics - H.Res. 895
Upholding the Constitution - H. Res. 982
Strengthening Freedom of Information Act - H.R. S. 2488
Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 - S. 2271
Genocide Accountability Act of 2007 - S.888
Combating Human Trafficking - H.R. 3887
Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 - H.R. 2102
Ending Private Tax Collection - H.R. 3056
The Improving Government Accountability Act - H.R. 928
Supporting Democracy in Burma - H. Con. Res. 200
Pension Forfeiture Act - H.R. 476
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act – H.R. 2316/S.1
Minnesota Bridge Reconstruction - H.R. 3311
Ending Sanctions Against Burma - H.J. Res. 44
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - H.R. 2831
Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007 - S. 966
Campaign Expenditure Transparency Act - H.R. 2630
FDIC Enforcement Enhancement Act - H.R. 2547
The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 - H.R. 2900
Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act - H.R. 1281
The Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act – S. 214
The Lobbying Transparency Act – H.R. 2317
The Federal Housing Finance Reform Act – H.R. 1427
Student Loan Sunshine Act - H.R. 890
Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act – H.R. 1257
D.C. Voting Rights Act – H.R. 1905
RECOVER Act – H.R. 1361
Taxpayer Protection Act - H.R. 1677
Interim Appointment of U.S. Attorneys – H.R. 580
Accountability in Contracting Act - H.R. 1362
Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007 - H.R. 985
Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2007 - H.R. 1255
Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2007 - H.R. 1254
Native Hawaiian Governing Entity - H.R. 505
Pay-As-You-Go Budget Rules - Title IV of H.Res. 6
Reform of House Page Program - H.R. 475
Honest Leadership - H.Res. 6

Randal Graves said...

dr. zaius lives for this. ;-) To defend dean, how many of these are actually now laws on the books? I understand that Congressional jokers and the lunatics at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. will prevent much of that from actually happening, but that's the definition of victory: did you win? How many wins does the 110th Congress have? And hell, I'm starting to trust the judicious and calm Senate less than the rabble rousing House these days.

I don't know how many times I've introduced a bill sponsoring a hot three way that passed Randal's chamber, but died in Mrs. Randal's.

Dean Wormer said...

don-

Yup.

zaius-

Native Hawaiian Governing Entity - H.R. 505

Yeah, THAT'S the one that keeps Bush and Cheney up at night.

Let me rephrase the question. When George Bush made moves to appoint Harriet Miers to the court the base of his party went apeshit and he withdrew the nomination.

Could you give me an example of the Democratic leadership in the house and senate acting in a manner as responsive when it came to the passions of their base?

I don't know how many times I've introduced a bill sponsoring a hot three way that passed Randal's chamber, but died in Mrs. Randal's.

She filibustered you, eh?

That co-equal branch thing really kills the kinky domestic sex life.

Dean Wormer said...

Spirula-

Ben Stein is a dick. 'Nuff said there.

And I agree that impeachment is a joke at this point. Congress couldn't even be bothered to defend the rest of the constitution, what could Bush possibly do to have them actually exercise the more important passages contained therein.

ThoughtCriminal said...

At best, one could say that the rate of deterioration is not accelerating as fast as it used to. That is, way more crazy-ass Republican bills would have passed if the Democrats had not taken over in 2006. The parallel universes where that happened is even more unhappy.

Life As I Know It Now said...

Still, you have a point there Dean. We need to elect far more Democrats to Congress and then hold their feet to the fire and have them actually get stuff done.

Arkonbey said...

Of course we have to be a tiny bit forgiving in some cases. A few months ago a guy up here was arrested for chaining himself to the door of our freshman (1 yr in office) senator's local office to protest that he hadn't pushed through legislation that's brought the troops home yet.

His presumptive opponent is saying the same thing.

That is, however, not excuse for caving on the FISA. How strong do dems have to be before we get backbone?

Dr. Zaius said...

"Could you give me an example of the Democratic leadership in the house and senate acting in a manner as responsive when it came to the passions of their base?"

"How many wins does the 110th Congress have?"

"To defend dean, how many of these are actually now laws on the books?"

In response, I would submit thefollowing bills that might interest a Democrat like myself, and are also now laws. This isn't all of them, I just cherry picked them. Many more are still waiting to become laws that have passed. Blaming the Democratic leadership of the 110th Congress for presidential vetoes and Republican fillibustering is sort of blaming the wrong people, don't you think?

-------------------------------------------------
New GI Bill - Amendment #2 to H.R. 2642
Passed as part of the 2008 Emergency Supplemental, the GI bill fully restores full, four-year college scholarships for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, on par with the educational benefits after World War II, covering up to the cost of the most expensive in-state public school and also provides transferability of unused education benefits to spouses and children.
Signed into law on June 30, 2008

Tax Relief for Military Families and Veterans - H.R. 6081
Passed House amendments to Senate amendemnts to H.R. 3997, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act (HEART Act), which makes permanent essential tax relief for our military families, including tax relief under the Earned Income Tax Credit, and expands homeownership opportunities for veterans.
Passed May 20, 2008
Signed into law on June 17, 2008

Largest Increase in Veterans Funding in History - H.R. 2642
The fiscal year 2008 Military Construction - Veterans Affairs Appropriations 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. This legislation was ultimately included in the fiscal year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill.
Signed into law on December 26, 2007

Veterans' Guaranteed Bonus Act - H.R. 3793
The bill fully addresses the military bonus problems first highlighted by the Dole-Shalala Wounded Warriors Commission -- providing essential financial security to our injured men and women by guaranteeing full payment of bonuses earned and owed to them.
Passed December 18, 2007

Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act - H.R. 1284
This bill increases the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the dependency and indemnity benefits for families of disabled veterans.
Status: Passed March 21, 2007
Signed into law on November 5, 2007

Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - H.R. 327
This legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. The bill is named for an Iraq veteran who took his own life, and recognizes the special needs of veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and elderly veterans who are at high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide.
Status: Passed October 23, 2007
Signed into law on November 5, 2007

Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROS) Act - H.R. 3625
This bill 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.
Status: Passed September 25, 2007
Signed into law on September 30, 2007

Implementing 9/11 Commission's Recommendations- H.R. 1
This legislation provides for the implementation of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. The bill's provisions include major improvements in aviation security, border security, and infrastructure security; providing first responders the equipment and training they need; beefing up efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction; and significantly expanding diplomatic, economic, educational, and other strategies designed to counter Islamic terrorism.
Status: Passed January 9, 2007
Final version passed July 27, 2007
Signed into law on August 3, 2007

Foreign Investment and National Security Act - H.R. 556
This bill strengthens national security by reforming the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) process by which the Federal Government reviews foreign investments in the United States for their national security implications.
Passed July 11, 2007
Signed into law on July 26, 2007

State-Foreign Operations Appropriations - H.R. 2764
This legislation supports our allies in the 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.
Status: Passed June 22, 2007
The President has threatened to veto
The final State-Foreign Operations Appropriations provisions were included in the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which was signed into law on December 26, 2007.

Revised Version of the FY 2007 Supplemental Funding Bill - H.R. 2206
This bill is a revised version of the FY 2007 Supplemental, which fails to include the tough provisions holding the Iraqi government accountable and providing a responsible timetable for the redeployment of U.S. troops contained in the earlier 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 not made toward meeting them. The measure also includes a minimum wage increase, children's health care, and other important domestic priorities.
Passed May 10, 2007
Signed into the law on May 25, 2007

Extended Unemployment Benefits - Amendment #2 to H.R. 2642
Passed as part of the FY 2008 Emergency Supplemental, this bill provides up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state to workers exhausting the 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits.
Signed into law on June 30, 2008

Highway Jobs Bill - H.R. 1195
This bill allows the completion of important highway and transit projects outlined in the 2005 highway bill, thereby helping create and promote 40,000 new, good-paying American jobs in highway-related construction.
Passed April 30, 2008
Signed into law on June 6, 2008

The Recovery Rebate and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act - H.R. 5140
This bipartisan economic stimulus legislation will help hardworking Americans who are struggling with the high costs of gas, health care and groceries, and to jumpstart our slowing economy and create jobs here at home.
Passed February 7, 2008
Signed into law on February 13, 2008

Military Reservist and Veterans Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act - H.R. 4253
This bill maximizes the availability and usability of small business programs for veterans, service-disabled veterans, reserve members, and their dependents or Survivors for the next two years. It focuses on increasing opportunities for veteran-owned businesses, and creates a new loan initiative providing veterans with 7(a) small business loans at 50 percent of the fees of other small businesses.
Status: Passed January 16, 2008
Signed into law on February 14, 2008

The Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 - H.R. 3996
This bill will provide millions of middle-class families with tax cuts to grow our economy without increasing the national debt. The bill contains provisions that provide $50 billion in alternative minimum tax (AMT) relief to 23 million families and expands the child tax credit to help 12 million children.
Status: Passed December 12, 2007
Revised version passed December 19, 2007
The President has threatened to veto

(Ultimately, the House passed a Senate-passed bill providing protection from the AMT which was not paid for - which the President indicated he would sign.)

Revised Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007/AMT Relief Act - H.R. 4351
This legislation also gives tax relief to middle-class families, including protecting 23 million middle-class families from the Alternative Minimum Tax in 2007, without increasing the national debt.
Signed into law on December 26, 2007

Internet Tax Freedom - H.R. 3678
This bill will temporarily bans state and local taxes on Internet access. The bill extends the Internet tax moratorium, first passed in 1998, through to 2014, and will now go to the President's desk for his signature.
Passed October 16, 2007
Signed into law on October 31, 2007

America COMPETES Act: The Innovation Agenda – H.R. 2272
This bill is made up of five Innovation Agenda bills that have been passed by the House. They were combined into one bill to prepare to go to conference with the Senate, which passed an omnibus innovation and competitiveness bill (S. 761) on April 25.

On August 2nd, the House passed the final House-Senate agreeement on H.R. 2272. This legislation is the culmination of a year and a half-long, bipartisan effort to pass an Innovation Agenda that boldly responds to the global economic challenges identified in the 2005 National Academies report, Rising above the Gathering Storm. It ensures American students, teachers, businesses, and workers are prepared to continue leading the world in innovation, research, and technology well into the future.

H.R. 2272 combined the following five bills:

The 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act, H.R. 362

The Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act, H.R. 363

The National Science Foundation Authorization Act, H.R. 1867

The Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act, H.R. 1868

The Amending High-Performance Computing Act, H.R. 1068

Status: Passed the House May 21, 2007
Final version passed August 2, 2007
Signed into law on August 9, 2007

Raising the Minimum Wage - H.R. 2
This bill increases the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over two years. Increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour brings a pay raise for up to 13 million Americans.
Passed January 10, 2007
The President signed into law on May 25 as part of the revised 2007 supplemental funding bill, H.R. 2206

Blocking Damaging Medicaid Regulations - Amendment #2 to H.R. 2642
Passed provisions blocking damaging Medicaid regulations, as part of FY 2008 Emergency Supplemental. These provisions place a moratorium until April 2009 on six damaging Medicaid regulations which, if implemented, would slash Medicaid funding by billions and put in jeopardy needed services and protections for millions of vulnerable beneficiaries.
Passed June 19, 2008
Signed into law on June 30, 2008

The Farm Bill - H.R. 6124
This bill takes a first step on reforms to farm payments, including beginning to place restrictions on farm subsidies for those who do not need them; increases funding for food stamps and other nutrition programs by $10.4 billion over 5 years; increases funding for conservation programs by $7.9 billion; and promotes homegrown renewable energy.
Passed May 22, 2008
Vetoed by the President
The Farm Bill became law after the House and Senate passed the bill over the President's veto

Genetic Nondiscrimination Act – H.R. 493
The legislation will prohibit health insurance companies and employers from discriminating against people on the basis of genetic test results. By prohibiting the improper use of genetic information, this bill encourages Americans to undergo testing necessary for early treatment and prevention of genetic-based diseases.
Passed May 1, 2008
Signed into law on May 21, 2008

Improving Head Start Act – H.R. 1429
This legislation will help more children arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed by improving program quality and expanding access to more children.
Passed November 14, 2007
Signed into law on December 12, 2007

Railroad Safety - H.R. 2095
The bill reauthorizes and renames Federal Railroad Administration ("FRA") and takes a variety of steps to strengthen rail safety including updating the limits on rail workers' hours of service to reduce fatigue-related accidents, nearly doubling the number of safety inspectors, requiring new safety technologies on trains, and upgrading safety at rail tracks and crossings.
Passed October 17, 2007

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act - H.R. 2669
This legislation provides the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill in 1944. The Democratic-led Congress is committed to growing and strengthening America's middle class, and will ensure that college is affordable for every qualified student who wants to attend. This legislation both expands educational opportunities for our nation's young people, and is an investment in our workforce that will continue our economic leadership in the world.
Status: Passed July 11, 2007
Final version passed September 7, 2007
Signed into law on September 27, 2007

Improving Drug Safety - H.R. 3580
The FDA Reauthorization/Improving Drug Safety bill 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.
Passed September 19, 2007
Signed into law on September 27, 2007

Revised Energy Independence and Security Act - Senate amendments to H.R. 6
This bill reduces our dependence on foreign oil, reduces global warming, and lowers energy costs for consumers by such steps as raising the CAFÉ standards for the first time in 32 years, providing new energy efficiency standards, and making an historic commitment to American-grown biofuels – but drops the renewable electricity standard and the repeal of oil company tax breaks.
Status: Passed December 18, 2007
Signed into law on December 19, 2007

Interior-Environment Appropriations - H.R. 2643
This legislation 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.
Status: Passed June 27, 2007
The President has threatened to veto
e President threatened to veto.
The final Interior-Environment Appropriations provisions were included in the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which was signed into law on December 26, 2007.

Select Committee on Energy Security and Global Warming - H.Res. 202
This resolution includes provisions to establish a House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, to raise the visibility of these urgent issues.
Passed March 8, 2007
No Presidential signature required

Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act - H.R. 5715
This bill provides students and families with continued, uninterrupted access to federally guaranteed student loans, despite the current credit crisis, by for example allowing the Education Department to buy privately-held student loans.
Final version passed May 1, 2008
Signed into law on May 7, 2008

Office of Congressional Ethics - H.Res. 895
This legislation strengthens congressional ethics enforcement with a new Office of Congressional Ethics. This will bring greater accountability and transparency to the ethics enforcement process by requiring, for the first time in history, an independent review of alleged ethics violations by individuals who are not Members of Congress.
No presidential signature required

Strengthening Freedom of Information Act - H.R. S. 2488
The OPEN Government Act strengthens the Freedom of Information Act to better protect the public's right to know and make the government more transparent.
Signed into law on December 31, 2007

Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 - S. 2271
The United Nations has described Sudan's western Darfur region as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. It is estimated that 200,000-400,000 Darfurians have been slaughtered, 2.5 million more have been driven from their homes, and the Sudanese government's blockade of humanitarian aid to the displaced have left over 3 million in danger of starvation. Despite the genocide, the Sudanese economy has remained strong, supported heavily by direct foreign investment in the oil industry.
Passed December 18, 2007
Signed into law on December 31, 2007

Pension Forfeiture Act - H.R. 476
This legislation requires that Members convicted of certain federal offenses forfeit their congressional pension rights.
Passed January 23, 2007
Signed into law on September 14, 2007, as part of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, S. 1

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act – H.R. 2316/S.1
This legislation ends the tight-knit relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers. This is a tough bill that ends the culture of corruption, and restores accountability in Washington, ending the tight-knit relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers and taking another major step toward making the 110th Congress the most open, honest Congress in history. Status: Passed May 24, 2007
Passed July 31, 2007
Signed into law on September 14, 2007

The Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act – S. 214
This bill reinstates the Senate's role in the U.S. Attorney confirmation process. It is designed to help better ensure the independence of U.S. Attorneys – by repealing a provision in a 2006 statute that grants the Attorney General the authority to make indefinite interim appointments of U.S. Attorneys, who can then serve indefinitely without Senate confirmation.
Passed May 22, 2007
Signed into law on June 14, 2007

Pay-As-You-Go Budget Rules - Title IV of H.Res. 6, Honest Leadership Package
Re-imposing strict pay-as-you-go budget rules to end new deficit spending.
No presidential signature required

Reform of House Page Program - H.R. 475
House Page Board Oversight 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.
Signed into law on February 2, 2007

Honest Leadership - H.Res. 6
To clean up Washington and sever unethical ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, House Democrats started by banning travel and gifts from lobbyists, requiring full transparency to end the abuse of special interest earmarks, banning travel on corporate jets, shutting down the K Street project, reinstating the strict rules of pay-as-you-go budgeting, and ending the abusive processes that have destroyed democracy in the House of Representatives. These measures are the first steps to ensure that this Congress upholds the highest ethical standards.
Passed January 5, 2007
-------------------------------------------------

Your argument is essentailly this:
------------
Wolf, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf's right to eat him. He thus addressed him: "Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me."

"Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born."

Then said the Wolf, "You feed in my pasture."

"No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass."

Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well."

"No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink to me."

Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."
------------

I am guessing from your position on this that you were one of those kids that got everything that you wanted for Christmas, and still complained - even though you had more toys than all of your friends. ;o)

By the way...

Native Hawaiian Governing Entity - H.R. 505
The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act would allow Native Hawaiians to establish a "governing entity" that would represent them in negotiations with federal and state governments.
The President has threatened to veto.

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