Democrats Voting for Stupak Amendement by PVI #HCR

08 Nov

Posted by Kevin Bondelli in Congress

Some of the Democratic Stupak Amendment votes came from Representatives from very blue districts. Here are the Democrats that voted for the amendment sorted by Cook PVI. Bolded names also voted against HR 3962 itself.

3 Comments

Democrats Who Voted Yes on Stupak and No on #HCR

08 Nov

Posted by Kevin Bondelli in Congress

The following Democrats voted both for the Stupak Amendement and then voted against final passage of HR 3962.

Bobby Bright (AL-2)
Parker Griffith (AL-5)
Artur Davis (AL-7)
Mike Ross (AR-4)
Jim Marshall (GA-8)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Ben Chandler (KY-6)
Charlie Melancon (LA-3)
Collin Peterson (MN-7)
Ike Skelton (MO-4)
Travis Childers (MS-1)
Gene Taylor (MS-4)
Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
Heath Shuler (NC-11)
Harry Teague (NM-2)
John Boccieri (OH-16)
Dan Boren (OK-2)
Jason Altmire (PA-4)
Tim Holden (PA-17)
Lincoln Davis (TN-4)
Bart Gordon (TN-6)
John Tanner (TN-8)
Jim Matheson (UT-2)

16 Comments

The Perils of Last Minute Activism

27 Jul

Posted by Kevin Bondelli in Congress, Issues

The Republican Party may be in shambles, but conservative interest groups are still dominating progressives when it comes to issue advocacy. A big part of the problem is procrastination: most progressive organizations rely solely on last minute activism.

Conservatives have been so successful in their issue advocacy efforts because they begin the process way before there is a bill being considered or an important vote. They start persuasion programs far in advance; framing the debate, saturating the media, and activating local conservative networks.

Progressives have not been as successful because we tend to wait until a vote to begin organizing. Now, there are some exceptions; organized labor has been much better at getting a head of issues than the rest of the progressive movement, but for the most part our activism is last minute.

Many progressive organizations didn’t learn the lessons of the 1990s. They believed that passing progressive legislation would be a cakewalk with Democrats in control of the White House, a huge majority in the House and 60 votes in the Senate. The current struggle for health insurance reform shows how wrong they were.

A politician isn’t going to always do the right thing just because there is a (D) next to his or her name. Democrats often have to be pressured as much as the Republicans. In the future we must remember that as long as we rely solely on last minute activism, we are going to keep losing battles.

0 Comments

ACT NOW on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

28 Jan

Posted by Kevin Bondelli in Action Alerts, Congress, YDA

Today, the House of Representatives will vote on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a bill designed to help put money in the hands of working Americans to get our economy back on track.

As promised, President Obama said restoring prosperity and faith in financial institutions was his top priority. Together with bi-partisan leaders in Congress, the President has created a plan designed to provide more than stimulus; rather, we will invest in short-term needs to further long-term goals.

This bill has huge implications for young people. From unemployment insurance to higher education tax credits to investing in renewable energy, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is designed to safeguard our economic future.

The cost of doing too little outweighs the extraordinary cost of getting us out of this economic crisis. Congress must act now to pass this important legislation and get our economy moving again. Urge your Member of Congress to ACT NOW to pass this critical legislation.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes key provisions around higher education, including the new American Opportunity Tax Credit, which offers a tax credit of up to $2,500 for the cost of tuition and related expenses, increases the Pell grant maximum by $500 to $4,860 for the 2009-2010 academic year, and increases federal work-study funding. It will also invest in critical infrastructure such as investments in shovel-ready roadways and bridges projects, science and IT, technology in the health care industry to lower costs, and modernizing schools. The bill also provides for extensive investment in energy efficiency to modernize our electric grid, create green jobs, and provide tax credits for families and companies that use alternative energy. In addition to other key provisions, the legislation also provides tax credits for the middle class — another campaign promise — to provide relief for working families, small businesses, the unemployed, and others hit hardest by the economic crisis.

The bill has unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency to bring “sunshine” to our legislative process and help restore confidence on our government and financial institutions.

You can learn more on Speaker Pelosi’s website. You can also read President Obama’s plan and remarks on ARRP.

As young Americans and Young Democrats we must ACT NOW to urge our Members of Congress to work for our best interest in restoring America’s prosperity. This important legislation cannot wait. And our economic future is too important to be yet another political football. We urge bi-partisan support for this crucial bill.

We look forward to keeping you updated on the progress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as the legislation progresses through Congress. Please help us broaden our impact by forwarding this email to five friends today!

Democratically Yours,
David Hardt
President
Young Democrats of America