During the budget debate, the Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) to establish a task force to review our country’s “long-term fiscal imbalances.” The premise of this amendment was that entitlement programs, like Social Security, must be cut. Furthermore, Congress would be forced to consider any task force recommendations from the task force under Fast Track procedures (without any amendments), effectively outsourcing significant legislative recommendations to an outside body without accountability. The amendment was defeated April 1 by a vote of 44-54 (R: 40-1; D: 3-52; I: 1-1) Roll Call 123. Y=W, N =R

The omnibus spending bill combined nine funding bills for several federal agencies, including the Department of Labor and Department of Education. The bill included funding for critical labor, health and safety programs and would fund government operations through Sept. 30, 2009. The Senate voted to end a Republican filibuster (60 votes are required to end a filibuster) March 10 by a vote of 62-35 (R: 8-32; D: 52-3; I: 2-0) Roll Call 96. Y=R, N=W

During the debate on the omnibus spending bill, the Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) that would have blocked an  Obama Administration directive requiring federal contractors to post notices in their workplace explaining workers’ rights. The amendment was defeated March 10 by a vote of 38-59 (R: 38-2; D: 0-55; I: 0-2) Roll Call 91. Y=W, N=R

The House fiscal year 2010 spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related federal agencies provides funding for workforce development, public health and education programs. Most of the programs funded by the bill are experiencing unusually high demand for their services as a result of the recession. The bill passed July 24 by a vote of 264-153 (R: 20-148; D: 244-5) Roll Call 646. Y=R, N=W

The American Clean Energy and Security Act would create a “cap-and-trade” system for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and set new requirements for electric utilities. It would require utilities to produce 15 percent of the nation's electricity from renewable sources by 2020, with another 5 percent energy savings from efficiency. It would set new emissions standards for coal-fired power plants, and new energy efficiency and water use standards for buildings and products. It would establish programs to assist energy consumers with higher utility bills as a result of the system. It also would create programs for electrical transmission lines, smart grid technologies, modernizing electricity infrastructure, reduction of emissions, increased energy efficiency, and carbon capture and sequestration. It maintains a diverse energy portfolio for the nation that includes renewable energy, fossil fuels, nuclear power and hydropower, while spurring investment in new energy technologies that will create jobs. It establishes an adjustment at the border for products that do not bear the same carbon costs and provides transition assistance for energy intensive, trade exposed industries. The bill passed June 26 by a vote of 219-212 (R: 8-168; D: 211-44) Roll Call 477. Y=R, N=W

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill invests in technology and the nation’s airports, creates good jobs and strengthen workers' rights. The House bill passed May 21 by a vote of 277-136 (R: 37-132; D: 240-4). Y=R, N=W

The 21^st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act provides $6.4 billion in direct investment for critical school repairs and to encourage energy efficiency. The bill also creates good jobs in the construction industry and stimulates local, state and regional economic activity during the current economic downturn. The bill passed May 14 by a vote of 275-155 (R: 24-154; D: 251-1) Roll Call 259. Y=R, N=W

The legislation would impose restrictions on credit card company lending practices, including when companies could increase annual percentage interest rates retroactively on an existing balance.  It expands a number of disclosure requirements for credit card companies and restricts the ability of credit card companies to change the terms of an account after it has been established. The bill passed April 30 by a vote of 357-70 (R: 105-69; D 252-1). Y=R, N=W

Passage of the bill that would expand federal hate crimes law to cover those based on sexual orientation, gender or disability. The bill would authorize $5 million annually in fiscal 2010 and 2011 for grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. It would authorize unspecified sums in fiscal 2010 through 2012 for the Justice Department to hire additional law enforcement personnel to prevent and respond to federal hate crimes. The bill passed on April 29 by a vote of 249-175 (R 18-158; D 231-17) Roll Call 223. Y=R, N=W

Republicans filibustered the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act, which would allow the delegate elected by the citizens of Washington, D.C., to vote in the House of Representatives. S. 160 would also increase the number of U.S. representatives from the state of Utah. U.S. citizens who live in the nation’s capital serve in the armed forces, pay federal taxes and sit on federal juries, yet they have no voting representation in the U.S. Congress. The Senate voted Feb. 24 to invoke cloture and end the filibuster (60 votes are required to end a filibuster) by a vote of 62-34 (R: 8-32; D: 52-2; I: 2-0) Roll Call 65. Y=R, N=W

As a first priority of the Obama administration and a key step toward rebuilding an economy that works for all Americans, the Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The investment provisions of the bill are specifically targeted to creating and maintaining jobs, and make major investments in transportation, infrastructure, state Medicaid and other health care programs, education and housing assistance, and energy-efficiency projects. H.R. 1 passed the Senate Feb. 10 by a vote of 61-37 (R: 3-37; D: 56-0; I: 2-0) Roll Call 61. Y=R, N=W

Since the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was enacted in 1997 with broad bipartisan support, the number of uninsured children has dropped by one-third, even as the rate of uninsured adults has increased steadily. The CHIP reauthorization bill preserves coverage for more than 6 million children while extending coverage to nearly 4 million more uninsured children. The Senate passed the bill Jan. 29 on a vote of 66-32 (R: 9-32; D: 55-0; I: 2-0) Roll Call 31. Y=R, N=W

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restores longstanding protections against pay discrimination that were eliminated by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 2007 decision, Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber. Lilly Ledbetter, a Goodyear Tire Co. supervisor, did not learn that she was being paid substantially less than her male colleagues, in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, until she retired after 19 years on the job. The Supreme Court ruled that Ledbetter lost the right to sue 180 days after she received her first paycheck. Prior to this decision, other courts had ruled that each paycheck started the 180-day clock over because each check was fresh evidence of discrimination. The Senate passed the bill Jan. 22 by a vote of 61-36 (R: 5-36; D: 54-0; I: 2-0) Roll Call 14. Y=R, N=W

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) offered an amendment to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that would have codified President George Bush’s Executive Order prohibiting the used of project labor agreements (PLA’s) on federal assisted construction projects. If the amendment had passed it would have pre-empted President Obama’s Executive Order encouraging the use of PLA’s. A motion to table (kill) the amendment was agreed to on Jan. 22 on a vote of 59-38 (R: 1-38; D: 56-0; I: 2-0) Roll Call 13. Y=R, N=W