Let's play a new game. Our representatives in Washington have been voting. Who made us proud?
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was passed by the House yesterday and tomorrow it will become the first piece of legislation signed into law by President Obama. How did our representatives vote? Congressman Davis (D, AL-07) voted in favor. Congressmen Bright (D, AL-02), Griffith (D, AL-05) and all the Republicans voted against. Rep. Davis issued the following statement today honoring the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act:
“The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act honors the sacrifices of working mothers in Alabama who wake up before dawn, drop their children off at school, put in a long day’s work and then return home to the never ending demands of motherhood. Too many of these women toil for smaller wages than the men who work beside them: they suffer from old ideas that exist about the relative value of men and women in the workplace. A year ago, the Supreme Court made the struggle for pay equity harder by complicating the laws for redressing wage imbalances based on gender. I am proud to have stood with an exceptionally courageous Alabama woman like Lilly Ledbetter to right this wrong. I am also pleased that there is now a Congress and a President who believe that our laws should reward sacrifice and hard work and punish the remaining indignities in our society that are based on gender.”
There was a vote today on President Obama's Stimulus Package. As is becoming all too usual, Alabama's Congressmen voted the very same way as on Lilly Ledbetter: Davis voted YES; all the Republicans voted NO; and Bright and Griffith voted with the Republicans. This explanation is from Rep. Parker Griffith:
“We need to jump start our economy and create new jobs, but this bill does not do enough to cut taxes, support small businesses or invest in our research and development programs.” Griffith said. “I hope that we can work together to improve this bill as it moves through the process so that taxpayers are protected and we do more to invest in the programs and projects important to North Alabama.”
Honestly, it sounds like he's saying there wasn't enough pork for the homefolks in that stimulus package. And the tax cut stuff is pure rightwing rhetoric. We used to talk about Cramer being a Bush Dog, but Bush is gone now. Ddo we just call these guys Red Dogs or what?
Update: Here is Rep. Mike Rogers' statement on his vote against the stimulus package:
“Folks across East Alabama are struggling to make ends meet in this tough economy. Families are enduring the pain of lost jobs, rising gas prices and bad economic news.
“Congress needs to pass a stimulus bill that helps create and preserve jobs immediately. The Democratic majority’s bill, which was presented today, has a number of good features, like $30 billion for transportation projects which could benefit roads and bridges across East Alabama, but ultimately needs less unnecessary spending, more targeted infrastructure spending and additional focus on creating jobs immediately. In the current bill, 32 new government programs would be created, and the Congressional Budget Office anticipates only 15% of the bill’s total will be spent in 2009. Surely Congress can do better to help struggling Americans in this economy.”
“I applaud President Obama for his attempt at tackling our country’s economic crisis and appreciate his bipartisan approach, but am deeply disappointed in Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leadership for not allowing an open and inclusive process. I hope Congress will produce a stronger, more focused and bipartisan Economic Stimulus bill soon.”
“I am also disappointed the House Democratic leadership did not include any support for America’s struggling automakers and suppliers in the bill, such as my proposal which could have helped protect good paying jobs in East Alabama by providing incentives to cash-strapped Americans to purchase new vehicles.”
My translation: Things are bad. There's a lot of good stuff in that bill, but maybe not enough. Obama is good. Pelosi and the Democrats are bad. So I voted against the bill. But I wish this bill had bailed out the American auto industry --even though I voted against the auto bailout bill last month!
This hit my mailbox from Americans United for Change, who seem to have decided to hold Mike Rogers' feet to the fire this term:
Brad Woodhouse, of Americans United for Change: “Thanks to the extraordinary leadership of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi, the U.S. House has acted quickly and decisively to move forward this major economic recovery plan that will put millions of middle-class Americans back to work and back spending money again. This was perhaps the most historic vote in Congress since the vote to authorize the war in Iraq. Yet, amid a crippling economic recession that has cost millions of Americans their jobs and threatens millions more if nothing is done, Congressman Mike Rogers chose to put partisan politics and the failed policies of the past over the struggling families he represents. President Obama reached out to Democrats and Republicans alike and set aside partisanship and ideology to craft a bold measure to get America back to work. It’s sad that Rep. Rogers is still clinging to petty partisanship and the same failed, well-worn ideology of Bush “trickle-down” economics that got us into this mess to begin with.”
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