Dennis Kucinich: Legislative History in Congress [View All]

[tsipple]

Thomas, the official online database of Congressional records, has detailed information on Dennis Kucinich's legislative history during his entire House of Representatives service in Washington. Here are some interesting findings. Note that I searched only on legislation Kucinich sponsored (not co-sponsored), and I did not track the legislation beyond the House. (Bills then go to the Senate, may or may not pass, and then go to conference committee where they can be modified, pass or fail, and then get signed or vetoed. So passing out of the House is by no means a guarantee that something becomes law.)

In the 108th Congress (the current one), Rep. Kucinich has sponsored 24 pieces of legislation, including amendments. None have become law to date. Only two have come up for a vote: Amendment 2 to HR 4 (several changes to state block grants) failed by a vote of 124 to 300, and Amendment 194 to HR 2417 (trying to get telephone records between the CIA and the White House) failed by a vote of 76 to 347.

In the 107th Congress, Rep. Kucinich sponsored 38 pieces of legislation, including amendments. Five reached a vote and failed. An amendment increasing funding in the Department of Agriculture for biotechnology risk assessment passed. Another amendment passed which requires the Export-Import Bank to gather information related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. A third amendment passed which curtailed DoD funding until the DoD Inspector General submitted a report. And another amendment passed which exempted Federal Employees Health Benefits Program contracts from cost accounting standards.

In the 106th Congress, Kucinich sponsored 30 pieces of legislation, including amendments. An amendment in which Kucinich sought a "zero tolerance" policy for small businesses that make a first time mistake with federal paperwork was narrowly defeated. Curiously opposite, Kucinich also proposed an amendment which gave HUD grant applicants the ability to correct technical deficiencies within 7 days of notice, and that passed. Another amendment passed which helped states establish and maintain records of violent juveniles. An amendment which required Clinton's Secretary of State to submit a report outlining diplomatic initivates to resolve the Kosovo conflict passed. Kucinich also got passed an amendment that encourages teacher interest and involvement in "enterpreneurship education." An amendment prohibiting funding for cluster bombs failed. Another failed that would have blocked legal action under NAFTA. An amendment to divert $174 million from missile defense to defense health programs failed.

There's a real shocker in the 106th, though. Dennis tried to get an amendment (Amendment 1100 to HR 4811) passed that would have blocked funds for the Kosovo Protection Corps. (These are the forces that General Wesley Clark commanded under President Bill Clinton which stopped the slaughter in Kosovo.) The amendment failed.

The 105th Congress was even quieter, with 11 pieces of legislation. Kucinich got passed into law HR 4083 which made a videotape of a government television program available to the Ukrainian Museum. Kucinich first tried in the 105th to get "zero tolerance" penalties for small businesses that make first time paperwork violations, but that effort failed. He also introduced an amendment that would have allowed each state to pass laws in conflict with an international treaty (NAFTA) by denying funds for enforcement, but that failed, too.

That's it. From January, 1997, until now, 8 sponsored amendments to existing bills passed out of the House (not clear how many are law), and one sponsored bill (the video to the Ukrainian Museum).