Where The Rubber Meets The Road (6/20)

As published in last Sunday's Inquirer, here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week.

House

Iraq war. The House passed, 256-153, a measure (H Res 861) ruling out any deadline for removing U.S. troops from Iraq and promising U.S. staying power to help Iraq stabilize itself.

A yes vote was to adopt the resolution.

Voting yes: Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.), Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.) and Curt Weldon (R., Pa.).

Voting no: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.) and Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.).

Betrayal.

Cowardice.

Blind, stupid loyalty to a shameless, corrupt regime (and I’m talking about Bushco, not necessarily the coalition in Iraq) and a failed occupation.

And by the way, I visited visi.com to find out whether or not any of these jokers have a service record (including Fitzy and Crazy Curt, of course), and at least 8 out of 10 of these guys never served. Among the two exceptions, Tim Holden (who should immediately change his party affiliation to Repug based on this vote, by the way) shows, under Education, “Fork Union Military Academy, 1976,” but there’s no service activity shown subsequent to that. And the only Repug who DOES show service is Joe Pitts with the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command from 1963-1969.

So the bottom line is that NONE of these guys has any understanding of what our combat forces on the ground are dealing with on a day-to-day basis.

We know why this is important, but just as a refresher, please go to the upper right column of this site and click the “Honor The Fallen” link to view a feature from Ava.

If any of these characters had any honor at all, they would wear ashes and sackcloth as a sign of penance before they all resigned. But of course, we know they won’t.

War, Katrina spending. The House approved, 351-67, the conference report on an emergency spending bill (HR 4939) that appropriates $65.8 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $19.8 billion for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery.

All Philadelphia-area representatives voted to approve the conference report.

Bushco will probably be back for more as supplemental appropriations, and they’ll probably get it, continuing the most ruinous fiscal mismanagement on the part of a president and a congress that this country has ever seen (though, in the Senate, there actually is a “ray of hope” about this, as you’ll read in the very last item).

Congressional pay raise. The House voted, 249-167, to affirm a pay increase for senators and House members scheduled for January 2007. This vote, during debate on a fiscal 2007 appropriations bill for the Treasury Department and other agencies (HR 5576), set the stage for a 2 percent raise that will hike rank-and-file lawmakers' pay to $168,500.

A yes vote backed a congressional pay raise.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Saxton and Smith.

Voting no: Castle, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Pitts and Schwartz.

Not voting: Weldon.

The importance of this is more symbolic than anything else, especially since the percentage is competitive with what one might receive in private industry. Still, though, you have to wonder what the five “yes” voters were thinking. They must feel pretty secure in their re-election bids. And if Andrews, Brady, Fattah, Saxton and Smith think voters are ignoring the hardships they themselves face when they read about this stuff, they’d better think again.

Airline ownership. Members voted, 291-137, to block a Department of Transportation rule that would enable European airlines to buy into and help manage U.S. airlines. The vote amended HR 5576 (above).

A yes vote was to block the Transportation Department proposal.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Saxton, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.

Voting no: Pitts.

I don’t know for certain that this would have been a bad thing, but coming on the heels of the Dubai Port World dustup, the perception of allowing anyone overseas to help manage our airlines would not sit well with the voters (which makes Joe Pitts’ vote even more mysterious as far as I’m concerned).

Amtrak. Members voted, 266-158, to increase Amtrak's fiscal 2007 budget in HR 5576 (above) from $900 million to $1.14 billion.

A yes vote was to raise Amtrak funding.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Saxton, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.

Voting no: Pitts.

I guess no one commutes to their jobs in Joe Pitts’ district via Amtrak. Must be nice.

Fuel efficiency. Members approved, 234-190, an increase from $1.3 million to $8 million in funds in HR 5576 (above) for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration office in charge of vehicle fuel efficiency.

A yes vote was to raise funding for fuel efficiency.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Saxton, Schwartz, Smith and Weldon.

Voting no: Pitts.

I guess they don’t get to their jobs by driving their vehicles either (Pony Express, maybe?).

Joe Pitts sure “covered himself in glory” last week, didn’t he?

Senate

Iraq withdrawal. Senators killed, 93-6, a proposal calling for the administration to begin major troop withdrawals from Iraq. The vote was on an amendment to the 2007 defense budget (S 2766).

All Philadelphia-area senators voted to kill the amendment.

Here's more information on on the amendment.

93 to 6?

Not “54 to 45” or “62 to 37”?

93 to 6?

This vote, unfortunately, shows why many people refuse to take seriously the notion that the Democrats can govern this country despite the unimaginably horrific job that the Republicans have done. How can Biden explain this vote and then, in the next breath, seriously mention himself as a presidential candidate for 2008? Or, of course, HRC herself? To say nothing of Carper, Lautenberg, or Menendez, who have no such aspirations and, therefore, less to lose?

Most of the Democratic Party, sadly, is completely and utterly out of touch with the netroots, and this vote proves it. And you have no idea how much it pains me to say that.

And to the six courageous Democrats who voted yes to the amendment (Barbara Boxer, Robert Byrd, Tom Harkin, Russ Feingold, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry) you have my undying thanks and admiration.

War, Katrina spending. Senators voted, 98-1, to send President Bush the final version of a spending bill that includes $65.8 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $19.8 billion for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery (HR 4939, above).

A yes vote was to approve the spending.

Voting yes: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.), Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) and Rick Santorum (R., Pa.).

Voting no: Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Kudos to Arlen for not being a rubber stamp (and as far as the Democrats are concerned, see above).

War budgets. Senators voted, 98-0, to require the administration to begin funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through normal budget rules rather than emergency rules that lack discipline. This vote amended the fiscal 2007 defense authorization bill (S 2766).

All Philadelphia-area senators voted for the amendment.

This was the best thing they did all week.

As noted in the Inquirer, this week the House will consider the fiscal 2007 defense budget, voting rights and a line-item veto, while the Senate will continue to debate the 2007 defense budget.