Once again, Republicans have proven themselves incapable of governing, incapable of conducting the People's Business.
A Bloated Military Budget looking for ENDLESS WAR to BUILD EMPIRE!
We didn't get it right the last time, don't count on it being right this time!
FROM:
US Empire, Your Tax Dollars and Why WIkileaks was important...
We should be proud of the Massachusetts delegation, standing against the vested interests and hysteria to support DIPLOMACY FIRST!
A slow week inside the Beltway
4 votes in House, 2 in Senate
- See more at: https://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2015/09/19/226237-slow-week-inside-Beltway#sthash.STH06mFM.dpuf
Here's how Massachusetts members of Congress voted over the previous week.
Along with roll call votes, the Senate also passed the TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act (H.R. 719), to require the Transportation Security Administration to conform to federal rules regarding criminal investigator positions; and passed the Equity in Government Compensation Act (S. 2036), to suspend the current compensation packages for the chief executive officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
APPROVING IRAN NUCLEAR PACT: The House has rejected a bill (H.R. 3461), sponsored by House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, that would have approved the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action reached by the U.S. and other countries regarding Iran's nuclear weapons program. A supporter, Rep. David E. Price, D-N.C., called the pact an unprecedented move to degrade the program by cutting Iran's uranium stockpiles by nearly 98 percent, permanently blocking Iran's ability to develop plutonium to fuel a nuclear weapon at its Arak facility, and taking offline two-thirds of Iran's centrifuges for enriching uranium. An opponent, Rep. Edward R. Royce, R-Calif., said the pact lacked adequate terms for inspecting Iran's nuclear sites, would leave Iran with ample uranium enrichment capacity, and give it the possibility of developing nuclear weapons within a few years. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 162 yeas to 269 nays.
YEAS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
House Vote 2:
SANCTIONS RELIEF FOR IRAN: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 3460), sponsored by Rep. Peter J. Roskam, R-Ill., that would suspend until January 21, 2017, the president's authority to reduce sanctions against Iran related to its nuclear weapons program. Roskam said leaving the question of whether to reduce sanctions to the next president would mean abandoning $150 billion of proposed sanctions relief for Iran, funds which Iran would use to threaten Israel and the U.S., and destabilize the Middle East. A bill opponent, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, called it "a last-ditch effort to undermine a diplomatic victory" that promised to contain Iran and its nuclear program. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 247 yeas to 186 nays.
NAYS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
House Vote 3:
BLACK SOLDIERS IN REVOLUTIONARY WAR: The House has passed the National Liberty Memorial Clarification Act (H.R. 1949), sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C. The bill would change the terms of a review of proposals for building the National Liberty Memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor black slaves and freemen who fought on the side of the colonies in the American Revolution. Butterfield said the bill, by advancing efforts to build the memorial, would help honor "the brave Revolutionary War soldiers who sacrificed so much on behalf of American independence." The vote, on Sept. 16, was unanimous with 402 yeas.
YEAS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
House Vote 4:
PUNISHING FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS: The House has passed the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (H.R. 758), sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. The bill would require federal courts to impose sanctions against attorneys who have violated court rules intended to prevent the filing of frivolous lawsuits. Smith said requiring sanctions to punish frivolous lawsuits would reform a situation in which "lawyers who bring these cases have everything to gain and nothing to lose under current rules," encouraging them to waste court resources by bringing unreasonable claims against companies and other defendants. A bill opponent, Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., said judges already had the authority to punish lawyers for filing frivolous lawsuits by forcing them to pay the costs of defendants. The vote, on Sept. 17, was 241 yeas to 185 nays.
NAYS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
IRAN NUCLEAR PACT: The Senate has rejected a cloture motion to end debate on an amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the Hire More Heroes Act (H.J. Res. 61). The amendment would state the Senate's disapproval of the Iran nuclear development pact reached by the Obama administration and five other nations, and the sanctions relief the pact would provide for Iran. A supporter of the amendment, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the Iran pact would leave Iran's nuclear weapons program intact and, by giving Iran access to more than $100 billion in currently frozen bank accounts, increase its ability to fund terrorist groups in the Middle East and elsewhere. An opponent of the amendment, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called the Iran pact the successful result of a remarkable coalition of the U.S., China, Russia, and other nations working to pressure Iran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The vote, on Sept. 15, was 56 yeas to 42 nays, with a three-fifths majority required to end debate.
NAYS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Senate Vote 2:
SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN: The Senate has rejected a cloture motion to end debate on an amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the Hire More Heroes Act (H.J. Res. 61). The amendment would suspend the president's authority to reduce sanctions against Iran related to its nuclear weapons program until Iran recognizes Israel and frees American citizens it is holding captive. McConnell said relaxing the sanctions would allow Iran to strengthen Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist groups that oppose U.S. goals in the Middle East, and give Iran billions of dollars to increase its arsenal of conventional weapons. An amendment opponent, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called it a cynical waste of time debating an issue that has already been decided. The vote, on Sept. 17, was 53 yeas to 45 nays, with a three-fifths majority required to end debate.
NAYS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Along with roll call votes, the Senate also passed the TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act (H.R. 719), to require the Transportation Security Administration to conform to federal rules regarding criminal investigator positions; and passed the Equity in Government Compensation Act (S. 2036), to suspend the current compensation packages for the chief executive officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
HOUSE VOTES:
House Vote 1:
APPROVING IRAN NUCLEAR PACT: The House has rejected a bill (H.R. 3461), sponsored by House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, that would have approved the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action reached by the U.S. and other countries regarding Iran's nuclear weapons program. A supporter, Rep. David E. Price, D-N.C., called the pact an unprecedented move to degrade the program by cutting Iran's uranium stockpiles by nearly 98 percent, permanently blocking Iran's ability to develop plutonium to fuel a nuclear weapon at its Arak facility, and taking offline two-thirds of Iran's centrifuges for enriching uranium. An opponent, Rep. Edward R. Royce, R-Calif., said the pact lacked adequate terms for inspecting Iran's nuclear sites, would leave Iran with ample uranium enrichment capacity, and give it the possibility of developing nuclear weapons within a few years. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 162 yeas to 269 nays.
YEAS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
House Vote 2:
SANCTIONS RELIEF FOR IRAN: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 3460), sponsored by Rep. Peter J. Roskam, R-Ill., that would suspend until January 21, 2017, the president's authority to reduce sanctions against Iran related to its nuclear weapons program. Roskam said leaving the question of whether to reduce sanctions to the next president would mean abandoning $150 billion of proposed sanctions relief for Iran, funds which Iran would use to threaten Israel and the U.S., and destabilize the Middle East. A bill opponent, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, called it "a last-ditch effort to undermine a diplomatic victory" that promised to contain Iran and its nuclear program. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 247 yeas to 186 nays.
NAYS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
House Vote 3:
BLACK SOLDIERS IN REVOLUTIONARY WAR: The House has passed the National Liberty Memorial Clarification Act (H.R. 1949), sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C. The bill would change the terms of a review of proposals for building the National Liberty Memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor black slaves and freemen who fought on the side of the colonies in the American Revolution. Butterfield said the bill, by advancing efforts to build the memorial, would help honor "the brave Revolutionary War soldiers who sacrificed so much on behalf of American independence." The vote, on Sept. 16, was unanimous with 402 yeas.
YEAS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
House Vote 4:
PUNISHING FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS: The House has passed the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (H.R. 758), sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. The bill would require federal courts to impose sanctions against attorneys who have violated court rules intended to prevent the filing of frivolous lawsuits. Smith said requiring sanctions to punish frivolous lawsuits would reform a situation in which "lawyers who bring these cases have everything to gain and nothing to lose under current rules," encouraging them to waste court resources by bringing unreasonable claims against companies and other defendants. A bill opponent, Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., said judges already had the authority to punish lawyers for filing frivolous lawsuits by forcing them to pay the costs of defendants. The vote, on Sept. 17, was 241 yeas to 185 nays.
NAYS: Capuano D-MA (7th), Clark (MA) D-MA (5th), Keating D-MA (9th), Kennedy D-MA (4th), Lynch D-MA (8th), McGovern D-MA (2nd), Moulton D-MA (6th), Neal D-MA (1st), Tsongas D-MA (3rd)
SENATE VOTES:
Senate Vote 1:
IRAN NUCLEAR PACT: The Senate has rejected a cloture motion to end debate on an amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the Hire More Heroes Act (H.J. Res. 61). The amendment would state the Senate's disapproval of the Iran nuclear development pact reached by the Obama administration and five other nations, and the sanctions relief the pact would provide for Iran. A supporter of the amendment, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the Iran pact would leave Iran's nuclear weapons program intact and, by giving Iran access to more than $100 billion in currently frozen bank accounts, increase its ability to fund terrorist groups in the Middle East and elsewhere. An opponent of the amendment, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called the Iran pact the successful result of a remarkable coalition of the U.S., China, Russia, and other nations working to pressure Iran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The vote, on Sept. 15, was 56 yeas to 42 nays, with a three-fifths majority required to end debate.
NAYS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
Senate Vote 2:
SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN: The Senate has rejected a cloture motion to end debate on an amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the Hire More Heroes Act (H.J. Res. 61). The amendment would suspend the president's authority to reduce sanctions against Iran related to its nuclear weapons program until Iran recognizes Israel and frees American citizens it is holding captive. McConnell said relaxing the sanctions would allow Iran to strengthen Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist groups that oppose U.S. goals in the Middle East, and give Iran billions of dollars to increase its arsenal of conventional weapons. An amendment opponent, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called it a cynical waste of time debating an issue that has already been decided. The vote, on Sept. 17, was 53 yeas to 45 nays, with a three-fifths majority required to end debate.
NAYS: Warren D-MA, Markey D-MA
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y the latest count, the nuclear agreement with Iran has enough support in the U.S. Senate to survive. This, even more than stopping the missile strikes on Syria in 2013, may be as close as we come to public recognition of the prevention of a war (something that happens quite a bit but generally goes unrecognized and for which there are no national holidays). Here, for what they’re worth, are 10 teachings for this teachable moment.
