Democratic Accomplishments Since Regaining the Majority
http://www.democrats.senate.gov/~dpc/pubs/107-2-387.htmlSince taking over the leadership of the Senate last year, Democrats have made a difference for all our families by passing important, common-sense legislation in a wide variety of policy areas while serving as a check against a Republican hard right agenda that does not reflect the values of most Americans.
Under Democratic leadership, the Senate has passed:
-Corporate Accountability: a bill to boost consumer and investor confidence and enhance corporate accountability;
-Patients' Bill of Rights: legislation to ensure that doctors, not insurance company bureaucrats, make health care decisions about patients;
-Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals: legislation designed to lower prescription drug prices by stopping drug company abuses that prevent generic drug competition;
-Prescription Drug Reimportation: an amendment to allow the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada, which will lower the price of prescription drugs in the United States;
-State Flexibility in Providing Prescription Drug Discounts: an amendment to permit states to give residents access to lower prescription drug prices by extending the use of Medicaid-type rebates and discounts.
-Fiscal Relief for the States: an amendment to provide fiscal relief to states by temporarily increasing the federal Medicaid match rate (FMAP) - in addition to easing the states' current budget crunches, the increase will help states cope with the growing number of Americans who are uninsured.
-Health Care Safety Net: legislation to improve access to health care services for uninsured and medically-underserved individuals.
Medical Device User Fees: legislation to speed the Food and Drug Administration's approval of medical devices.
-Unemployment Insurance/Economic Stimulus: an economic stimulus bill designed to get our economy moving again through extended unemployment benefits, incentives for business investment, an extension of expired tax provisions, and tax incentives to help rebuild lower Manhattan;
-Military Construction Appropriations: $10.5 billion to pay for military family housing and military bases, an amount exceeding the Administration's request by $835 million;
-Defense Appropriations: $355.1 billion to pay for ongoing military activities, an increase of $34.1 billion over last year;
-Homeland Defense Appropriations: $8.3 billion to provide for homeland defense in the FY 2002 Department of Defense appropriations bill;
-Appropriations: The Senate appropriations committee reported all 13 Fiscal Year 2003 appropriations bills before the August recess, the first time all 13 bills were reported by the recess since 1994, the last full year in which Democrats controlled the Senate. Unfortunately, the House halted action on appropriations bills, forcing the government to rely on a series of temporary funding bills;
-Supplemental Appropriations: legislation to provide $29 billion for the Department of Defense, homeland security, the Transportation Security Administration, and recovery efforts in New York City;
-Debt Limit: passed the debt limit increase requested by the President in order to avoid default and preserve the full faith and credit of the United States;
-Campaign Finance Reform: an overhaul of our nation's campaign finance laws to restore integrity to our electoral process;
-Election Reform: election reform legislation to ensure that every vote counts;
-Environmental Protection: environmental measures to keep arsenic out of our drinking water, protect national parks, national forests, and national monuments, clean up toxic waste sites, and protect endangered species;
-Education Reform: a strong education reform program that requires states to set high standards for every student and strengthens federal incentives to boost low-performing schools and significantly improve educational achievement;
-Energy Bill: a comprehensive, balanced energy bill to benefit consumers, increase domestic energy supplies, promote energy efficiency, and protects the environment;
-Farm Bill: a Farm Bill that includes income certainty for producers, provisions making farmers and ranchers more competitive, an increased commitment to conservation, much-needed help for rural development, and expanded nutrition assistance;
-Emergency Farm Assistance: emergency farm assistance to respond to the deepest agricultural recession in American history;
-Natural Disaster Assistance: emergency natural disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers;
-Judicial Confirmations: confirmed 100 judicial nominees since assuming control of the Senate;
-Department of Homeland Security: legislation to establish a Department of Homeland Security, consolidating the major federal agencies responsible for homeland security into one department;
-Intelligence Authorization Act: an act for intelligence and intelligence-related activities, including the establishment of a National Commission to investigate 9/11;
-Use of Force Resolution: a use of force resolution against Iraq;
Use of Force Resolution: a use of force resolution against those responsible for the September 11 attacks;
-Response to Terrorist Attacks: a $40 billion package to respond to the terrorist attacks and provide for immediate assistance to the people, industries, and communities most affected by September 11;
-USA PATRIOT Act: a comprehensive anti-terrorism bill that provides law enforcement officials the tools they need in the fight against terrorists, while protecting the civil liberties of every American;
-Defense Authorization: a bill to authorize $393.3 billion (the largest increase for defense in two decades), a 4.1 percent across-the-board pay increase, concurrent receipt of retired pay and veterans' disability compensation (the conference report included an enhanced special compensation for military retirees with combat-related disabilities), and funding for nuclear non-proliferation programs;
-Airport Security: legislation to increase security at our nation's airports;
-Support for the Airline Industry: legislation to prevent the collapse of the air transportation system by providing direct payments to the major commercial airlines for losses they incurred as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001;
-Bioterrorism Prevention and Preparedness: legislation to ensure that our public health system will be prepared for bioterrorism attacks and appropriations ($1.4 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services and $3 billion to the Department of Defense) for their prevention;
-Border Security: legislation to strengthen border security;
-Port Security: legislation to improve port and maritime security;
Pipeline Safety: legislation to enhance the safety and protection of pipelines;
-Dam Safety: legislation to strenghthen dam safety and security;
Terrorism Insurance: legislation to ensure that businesses can continue to obtain insurance against terrorist attacks;
-Anti-Terrorism: a bill to implement the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings;
-Trade: Trade Promotion Authority, Trade Adjustment Assistance, Andean Trade Preference Expansion Act, an extension of the Generalized System of Preferences, trade agreements with Jordan and Vietnam, and the reauthorization of the Export Administration Act;
-Foreign Policy: support for expansion of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) and assistance to candidate countries, authorization of assistance to Afghanistan, and support for democracy and anti-corruption programs in Russia; and
-HIV/AIDS: a bill authorizing an expansion of U.S. efforts to combat global HIV/AIDS.
Keeping the Extreme Republican Agenda in Check
With Republicans in control of the White House and the House of Representatives, Senate Democrats have also had to serve as a check against enactment of measures that don't reflect the values of most Americans. The following are a few examples of Republican proposals that Senate Democrats stopped when Republicans refused to compromise or moderate their extreme views.
Since reclaiming the majority, Senate Democrats have prevented Republicans from:
-Privatizing Social Security and risking its trust funds in the stock market - just as markets were plunging to their lowest levels in years;
-Accelerating future tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, and further draining the Social Security trust fund;
-Giving Enron $254 million in retroactive tax breaks;
Permanently repealing the estate tax for a few wealthy estates - which would have made tax cuts for America's wealthiest families a higher priority than tax relief for middle-class families;
-Allowing federal funds to be siphoned away from public schools to pay for private school vouchers - which would have diverted $4 billion that is needed to upgrade the skills of one million teachers and provide 5.2 million more children with after-school learning opportunities;
-Weakening the Patients' Bill of Rights;
-Imposing a new $1,500 deductible on health care services for veterans - which would have driven away an estimated 100,000 veterans from seeking care at VA hospitals;
-Outlawing cell research to cure diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and spinal cord injuries;
-Taking away rights of victims of medical malpractice, defective drugs, and medical devices from holding health care providers and manufacturers accountable;
-Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and our public lands;
-Repealing the renewable energy requirement;
Allowing increased logging in our national forests - which would have turned over thousands of acres to logging companies at taxpayers' expense;
-Passing billions of dollars in tax breaks for oil and gas special interests;
-Blocking campaign finance reform;
-Leaving aviation security in the hands of private companies with security contracts awarded to lowest bidders;
-Undermining the protections granted in Roe v. Wade - which would have limited a woman's right to choose; and
-Confirming extremist right-wing judicial nominees.
Democratic Accomplishments in a Republican-Controlled Senate
NOTE: As of press time, the Senate had not considered the conference reports to S. Con. Res. 23, the Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution, and S. 762, the Fiscal Year 2003 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill. This Special Report will be revised after the Senate has acted on these conference reports to reflect any changes from the Senate-passed versions of the bills.
Although Republicans gained the majority in the Senate in the 108th Congress, Senate Democrats have continued the fight to make a difference for all our families. Highlights of Democratic accomplishments in the 108th Congress include:
increasing combat pay and providing other support for the National Guard and Reserves;
ensuring tax fairness for military and foreign service personnel;
extending the long-term solvency of Social Security;
preventing the Bush Administration from moving forward with drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; and
providing additional funding for the No Child Left Behind Act.
On a number of issues, Democrats and Republicans have worked together to pass important, common-sense legislation. On other significant issues, however, Democrats have had to overcome Republican opposition to secure passage of legislation.
A Budget Set-Aside To Pay For Conflict In Iraq
On March 21, 2003, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Feingold that reduces the tax cuts in the budget resolution in order to set aside a reserve fund of $100 billion to cover costs of war and reconstruction. Four Republicans joined Democrats in a 52-47 vote to support the amendment.
Military Personnel
Senator Durbin offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2003 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill that would have increased combat pay for military personnel from $150 per month (an amount that had not been changed since 1991) to $400 per month, and raised the family separation allowance from $100 per month (a level that has failed to keep up with the increasing number of military families with two working spouses and costly child care needs) to $400 per month. On April 2, 2003, the Senate agreed to the Durbin amendment, but only after Republicans reduced the increase in combat pay to $225 per month and reduced the increase in the family separation allowance to $250 per month.
Enhanced Support For the National Guard And Reserves
On March 26, 2003, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senators Landrieu and Durbin that provides $3 billion to the Department of Defense in Fiscal Year 2003: $2 billion for an increase in combat pay and family separation allowance, and $1 billion for immediate Guard and Reserves equipment needs. The amendment passed unanimously, 100-0.
Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act
Democrats strongly supported passage of H.R. 1307, the Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act, in a 97-0 vote on March 27, 2003. The bill allows military and foreign service personnel to choose not to count time stationed overseas against the time limits for tax-free sales of their homes, provides National Guard and Reserve members with a deduction for overnight travel expenses related to military service, permits the exclusion of military death gratuity payments and of amounts received under the military housing assistance program, among other benefits. Passage of the bill represents a victory for Democrats, who included it among their legislative priorities at the beginning of the 108th Congress.
Humanitarian Food Assistance For Iraq
On April 3, 2003, the Senate passed a 2003 Supplemental Appropriations bill amendment introduced by Senators Kohl and Leahy that provides $600 million for international food aid programs and specifies that $155 million be used to restore funding for previously approved Fiscal Year 2003 programs. Twenty-two Republicans joined Democrats in a 67-26 vote for the amendment.
Veterans Health Care
Senator Graham offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2003 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill that would have provided $375 million to the Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Care Account for the purposes of caring for returning service members who are separated or released from the military. Current law requires that the VA provide such care for two years. The level provided for in the Graham amendment was based on the percentage of veterans who sought VA health care and benefits following the 1991 Gulf War, multiplied by VA's average per patient cost of care. The Senate accepted the amendment on April 3, 2003, but Republicans reduced the amount to $155 million and prohibited the money from being available after the end of Fiscal Year 2003.
Partial Concurrent Receipt For Veterans
On March 25, 2003, the Senate agreed to a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Reid to increase funding to allow concurrent receipt of retirement pay and veterans' disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities at 60 percent or higher, phased-in from 2004 to 2007.
First Responders
Senator Feinstein offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2003 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill that would have provided $200 million for interoperable communications equipment for police through the COPS program, and $200 million for communications equipment for firefighters and emergency departments through FEMA. The Senate approved the amendment on April 3, 2003, but Republicans reduced the levels to $109.5 million for each account.
Nuclear Security
Senator Reid offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2003 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill that would have provided $400 million for nuclear security, including $300 million to track and account for fissile nuclear material overseas, and $100 million to enhance security at federal nuclear facilities in the United States. After the Administration included no money for these programs in its request, the Appropriations Committee added $55 million for international programs and $43 million for security at domestic facilities. Democratic support resulted in the Senate approving on April 3, 2003 an additional $95 million for the international programs and an additional $42 million for domestic nuclear security.
Port Security
Senator Hollings's amendment to the Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution that provides $1 billion per year for two years for port security was accepted. Senate Republicans refused, however, to pay for port security out of the tax cut (which a bipartisan majority of the Senate determined was too large) and insisted on cuts in other discretionary programs before agreeing to the amendment on March 21, 2003.
Small Pox Vaccine
Senator Bayh offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2003 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill that would have provided $340 million to help state and local public health officials with the cost of administering smallpox vaccines. The Senate approved the amendment on April 3, 2003, but Republicans reduced the level to $105 million.
Social Security
On March 25, 2003, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Breaux that re-directs $396 billion from the resolution's tax cuts into a reserve fund to increase the long-term solvency of Social Security and limits the tax cuts protected by reconciliation instructions to $350 billion. Three Republicans joined Democrats in a 51-48 vote to support the amendment.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
On March 19, 2003, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Boxer that stops the Bush Administration's effort to put drilling in the Arctic Refuge on a fast track. Eight Republicans joined Democrats in a 52-48 vote for the amendment.
Unemployment Insurance Extension
On January 7, 2003, the Senate agreed to extend jobless benefits to 2.8 million unemployed workers through the end of May 2003. The bill, introduced by Senator Clinton and Senator Nickles, will give unemployed Americans an additional 20 weeks of benefits and the economy $7.25 billion in stimulus.
Expanded Health Coverage For the Uninsured
On March 25, 2003, the Senate agreed to a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Kennedy that increases funding for coverage of the uninsured from the $50 billion currently included in the budget resolution to the $88 billion recommended in the President's budget.
Funding For the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
On March 25, 2003 the Senate agreed to a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senators Murray, Kennedy and Harkin that re-directs $2 billion from the budget resolution's tax cuts to increase funding for the No Child Left Behind Act.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), School Construction And Modernization, And After-School Programs
On March 25, 2003, the Senate agreed to a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Levin that raises revenues $4.7 billion over ten years by ending the use of offshore tax havens (tax advantages for corporate inversions and closing the Bermuda reinsurance loophole). Half of the resulting funds were directed at deficit reduction and half to restoring funding for education programs, including IDEA, school construction and modernization, and after school programs.
Pell Grants
On March 21, 2003, the Senate agreed to a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senators Kennedy and Dodd that increases funding for Pell Grant Aid by $1.8 billion. This amendment will increase the maximum Pell grant from $4,050 to $4,500.
After-School Programs
On March 26, 2003, the Senate agreed to a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Boxer that provides $400 million to restore funding for after-school programs and that includes Sense of the Senate language to ensure that the number of children in after-school programs does not decrease.
The Workforce Investment Act
On March 25, 2003, the Senate voted to restore $678 million in proposed cuts to federal workforce training programs administered under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). This Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment, introduced by Senators Cantwell and Corzine, will save approximately 65,000 job-training opportunities. Three Republicans joined Democrats in a 51-48 vote for the amendment.
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
On January 21, 2003, the Senate agreed to a 2003 Omnibus Appropriations bill amendment introduced by Senator Reed that directs the President to release $300 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Forty-six Republicans joined Democrats in an 88-4 vote for the amendment.
Transportation
On March 21, 2003, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Bond and Senator Reid that supports the Federal-Aid Highway program and the Federal Transit program. The amendment increases budget authority for highways and transit by $59.6 billion in Fiscal Years 2004-2009, and provides outlays of $48.4 billion in Fiscal Years 2004-2013. Thirty-two Republicans joined Democrats in a 79-21 vote for the amendment.
The Charity Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act
On April 9, 2003, the Senate passed S. 476, the Charity, Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, on a bipartisan vote of 95-5. The CARE Act provides tax incentives to encourage charitable giving, and largely reflects the plan requested by President Bush in his Fiscal Year 2004 budget. Notably, the legislation allows for a standard deduction of up to $500 for cash donations to charities, tax-free roll overs of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) to qualified organizations, and enhanced deductions for farmers making food donations. The bill is paid for by cracking down on corporate tax shelters.
Support For Rural Counties To Reduce Out-Migration
On March 25, 2003, the Senate agreed to a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Dorgan that assists rural counties facing high levels of out-migration, by providing a venture capital fund to make equity investments in start-up and expanding businesses located in high out-migration rural counties, and by repaying up to 50 percent of college loans (up to $10,000) for recent graduates who live and work in such counties for 5 years.
Amtrak
On March 21, 2003, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution amendment introduced by Senator Byrd that increases spending on Amtrak by $912 million, offsetting the amount with a reduction in the budget resolution's tax cuts. Three Republicans joined Democrats in a 51-49 vote for the amendment
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