FACT SHEET | November 14, 2007

The Grand Obstructionist Party Continues to Block Pogress, While Democrats Move America in a New Direction

The 110^th Congress has been hard at work. Unfortunately, while Senate Democrats have been working to lead the way, Senate Republicans have been working to stand in the way. Since the beginning of the year, Congressional Republicans have gone to unprecedented lengths to block or delay legislation important to the American people, including: a change of course in Iraq; middle class tax relief; improvements to the prescription drug program for seniors; implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations; funding for intelligence activities; investments in clean renewable energy; foreclosure assistance; ethics reform; labor law reform; extension of voting rights, and a minimum wage increase. Meanwhile, President Bush, who refused to veto a single piece of legislation during the first five years of his presidency and promised to foster the spirit of bipartisanship in the 110^th Congress, has opposed, threatened to veto, or vetoed dozens and dozens of bills. Democrats call upon Republicans to respect the will of the American people and stop wasting the country’s time with procedural games and political posturing. Americans deserve better, and it’s time –past time – for Republicans to put aside the partisan politics, defy their reputation as the “Grand Obstructionist Party,” and join Democrats in moving America in a new direction. 

Republicans have engaged in unprecedented obstructionism. Senate Republicans have delayed almost every piece of major legislation in the 110^th Congress. By repeatedly threatening to filibuster, the GOP has forced well over 50 cloture votes in the Senate, thereby requiring Democrats to pass legislation, not by a simple majority, but by a super-majority of 60 votes. And we are only in the first session of this Congress. In the two-year term of the 109^th Congress --when Democrats were in the minority -- the Senate had only 52 cloture votes. To date, the all-time high for cloture votes in a two-year term is 61; at the current rate, Republicans in the 110^th Congress are projected to force 153 cloture votes by the end of 2008, which would be record-breaking obstructionism. (McClatchy Newspaper, “Senate tied in knots by filibusters,” 07/20/07; American EnterpriseInstitute, Ornstein Column, 7/18/07) 

Senate Republicans have even delayed the consideration of popular legislation by forcing unnecessary procedural votes. In less than a year, Republicans have forced 20 cloture votes on motions to proceed –wasting days of the Senate’s time. As a comparison, in the first sessions, or 12 months, of the 108^th and 109^th Congresses combined, there were only four cloture votes on motions to proceed. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 44,51,53,74,129,132,133,162,173,207,208,227,228,253,285,339,394,401,410,412. 

In just the 48 hours before the Thanksgiving recess, Senate Republicans blocked SIX vitally important measures. 

• Republicans blocked a change of course in Iraq.The Iraq War has cost more than 3,800 American lives; seven times that number have been wounded. Over a half a trillion dollars of taxpayer money has been spent. Last November, the American people issued a mandate to Congress and the President to begin seeking a responsible end to the war. Nevertheless, Republicans have repeatedly blocked every attempt to do so, each time threatening to filibuster votes and block debate on the war. Most recently, Senate Republicans refused to allow an up or down vote on a supplemental appropriations bill that would provide $50 billion in emergency funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill would have required the President to begin reducing the number of American forces in Iraq within 30 days, with the goal of withdrawing all troops by December 15, 2008; transitioning the mission of remaining troops to train Iraqi forces and fight al-Qaeda; and engaging in a diplomatic, political, and economic effort to create and sustain stability in the region.(110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 411, H.R. 4156, the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, 2008, cloture motion rejected 53-45, 11/16/07)
   
• Republicans blocked the passage of the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill has been the pending business before the Senate for ten days and Republican Senators have objected on multiple occasions to bringing up bipartisan amendments to the bill. Instead, the insistence of Senate Republicans to debate issues like the alternative minimum tax and the estate tax have come at the expense of a Farm Bill that millions of Americans count on. As a result, Senate Republicans voted to block the Senate’s passage of the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007 (the Farm Bill) by refusing to invoke cloture by a vote of 55 to 42. This political posturing by Senate Republicans is denying rural Americans financial certainty as they enter the upcoming planting season, improved nutrition assistance for low-income families and children, investments that will help spur the use and development of biofuels, and environmental protections across the country. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 412, S. Amdt. 3500 to H.R. 2419, the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007, 11/16/07)
   
• Republicans blocked a bill that would help families and seniors at risk of losing their homes. From coast to coast, American families are facing a record number of mortgage payment delinquencies and foreclosures. An estimated two million households may lose their homes to foreclosure this year and next, resulting in hundreds of billions of lost home equity.Unwilling to do nothing as millions stand to lose everything, Democrats have been focused on fixing the nation’s housing problems -- by working with the private sector, government agencies, and homeowner advocacy groups to find real world solutions. Senate Republicans, on the other hand -- after originally promising to work with us -- have chosen to stand in the way by blocking floor consideration of a measure to modernize the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The FHA Modernization Act of 2007 would strengthen and modernize the FHA to help homeowners facing foreclosure obtain safe and affordable home loans. (Senate Floor Proceedings, 11/15/07)
   
• Republicans blocked tax relief for middle-class families. Senate Democrats proposed to take up a tax package that would protect 19 million Americans from the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) and a two-year extension of certain expiring tax provisions, including the college tuition deduction and the state and local sales tax deduction. These measures would provide needed relief for America’s middle-class families and U.S. businesses. Senate Republicans, however, objected to the measure, refusing to move forward unless the extension of other tax cuts enacted 2001 and 2003 are also considered (in spite of the fact that those provisions do not expire until 2010 and are scheduled for committee consideration next year). 

As a result, Republicans have blocked AMT relief for America’s hard-working, middle-class families. The AMT was created in 1969 to keep wealthy people from avoiding taxes altogether, but it is now being applied to more and more working families. Republicans also blocked tax relief for individuals including deductions for college tuition, state and local sales taxes, teachers’ out-of-pocket classroom expenses; mortgage insurance; exclusion of combat pay in calculating Earned Income Tax Credit for members of military; and penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans for active duty members. They also blocked tax relief for businesses including the research and development tax credit; accelerated depreciation for leasehold improvements; accelerated recovery of remediation costs at “Brownfields”locations; and tax credits for railroad track maintenance costs. (Senate Floor Proceedings, 11/15/07) 

• Republicans blocked efforts to invest in our deteriorating transportation infrastructure. As the country approaches some of the busiest travel days of the year, Senate Republicans blocked the consideration of the Conference Report to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill. The legislation includes critical funding for the reconstruction of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, $41.2 billion toimprove and maintain our nation’s aging highway infrastructure, and more than $14.94 billion to help modernize and improve the Federal Aviation Administration. Despite the objections of Senate Republicans, Democrats remain committed to making the necessary investments in our nation’s highway and mass transit systems that will provide and improve those safe and reliable modes of travel. (Senate Floor Proceedings, 11/15/07)
   
• Republicans blocked assistance and services to veterans starting small businesses and reservists trying to keep businesses afloat during deployment.Many of our nation’s veterans return home with the dream of owning their own business. And many reservists have struggled to keep their businesses successful due to extended active duty service and decreased earnings. Over five million returning military personnel account for 14 percent of the self-employed in the United States and 14 percent of all small businesses are owned by veterans, making critical contributions to the U.S. economy, supporting job growth and expanding local economies. H.R. 2366,the SBA Veterans’ Programs Act of 2007, as amended by the Senate, would enhance assistance to veteran entrepreneurs in three main areas to ensure veterans and reservists have affordable, timely, and comprehensive access to start or grow small businesses. The House approved a bill in June, but Senate Republicans objected when Senate Democrats sought to approve the bill. In spite of Republican obstructionism, Democrats are committed to ensuring that our returning heroes have every tool to succeed and achieve economic security when they return. (Senate Floor Proceedings, 11/16/07) 

Senate Republicans have even created hurdles for pieces of legislation that have bipartisan, super-majority support and that ultimately passed by wide margins.These delaying tactics have resulted in more than 360 hours, or 30 additional days, of debate. Examples include: 

• The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007/ Improving America’s Security Act of 2007, for which the cloture motion on the motion to proceed was agreed to on a 97 to 0 vote and the cloture motion on the substitute amendment was agreed to on a 69 to 26 vote. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 53 and 69) The Senate later passed the bill 60 to 38, and when it came back from conference with the House, the Senate enacted final passage on a 85-8 vote. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 73 and 204).
   
• TheCLEAN Energy Act of 2007,for which the cloture motion on the motion to proceed was agreed to on a 91 to 0 vote. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 208, 6/11/07) The Senate later passed the measure on a 65 to 27 vote. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 226)
   
• The Water Resources Development Act of 2007, for which the cloture motion on the motion to proceed was agreed to on a 89 to 7 vote. The Senate followed up and passed the measure on a 91 to 4 vote and the subsequent conference report on a 81 to 12 vote. When the President vetoed the legislation on November 2, the bill had such strong support that the House and Senate swiftly and overwhelmingly overrode the veto and enacted the bill into law, on a 79 to 14 vote. (110th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 162, 170, 347, and 406)
   
• The Court Security Improvement Act of 2007, for which the cloture motion on the motion to proceed was agreed to on a 93 to 3 vote.The Senate later passed the measure on a 97 to 0 vote. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 133 and 135)
   
• The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization (CHIP), for which the cloture motion on the motion to proceed was agreed to 80 to 0. The bill later passed 68 to 31 in the Senate. When the House version of the bill was returned to the Senate, the cloture motion on the motion to concur with the House version was agreed to 69 to 30 and the motion to concur was agreed to 67 to 29. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 285, 307, 352, 353)
   
• The Department of Defense Authorization Bill, for which the cloture motion on the substitute amendment was agreed to 89 to 6. The bill later passed the Senate on an overwhelming 92 to 3 vote. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 357 and 359]
   
• The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007,for which the cloture motion on the motion to concur with the House amendment was agreed to 80 to 17 and the motion to concur was agreed to 83 to 14. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 293 and 294.)
   
• The Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act,for which the cloture motion on the substitute amendment that became the basis for the bill was agreed to 82 to 8. The bill later passed the Senate 93 to 1. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 152 and 157)
   
• The 2007 Continuing Resolution, for which the cloture motion was agreed to 71 to 26. The Senate then adopted to the resolution 81 to 5. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 46 and 48)
   
• The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, for which the cloture motion was agreed to 88 to 8. The Senate later passed the bill as a stand-alone measure 94 to 3. The bill was later passed as part of other measures and was eventually signed by the President into law. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Numbers: 39 and 42) 

By refusing to cross party lines, Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked votes on measures that are supported overwhelmingly by the American people. Despite earlier promises of bipartisanship, Senate Republicans have used cloture votes with their 60 vote thresholds to vote strictly along party-lines and reject the will of the American people time and time again. 

• Republicans said “no” to alleviating the strain on our military forces.Bush Administration policies have placed a dangerous strain on our Armed Forces. Today, many Army units are on their third or even fourth tour in Iraq or Afghanistan, while non-deployed units face significant shortfalls in readiness and National Guard and Reserve equipment stock has fallen to historic lows. Military leaders warn that the current pace of operations and reduced readiness of U.S. military forces is limiting our ability to respond to threats to our security and crises that may emerge both at home and around the world. At the same time, we are witnessing falling retention rates among our servicemembers in both the active duty and Reserves as well as an increase in mental health issues arising from multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite this unsustainable and increasingly grave situation, Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan amendment co-sponsored by Senators Webb and Hagel that would have established minimum periods between deployments of units and members of the Armed Forces deployed for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 341, S. Amdt. 2909 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008rejected 56 - 44 (60 votes required), 9/19/07)
   
• Republicans said “no” to lower drug prices for American seniors.Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have allowed Medicare to use the bargaining power of its 43 million beneficiaries to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.Had it not been blocked by obstructionism that benefited the drug industry, S. 3, theMedicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007, would have repealed the current law prohibiting these negotiations and would have made Medicare drug plans more accountable and improved the level of information available to seniors about prescription drugs. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 132, Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 3 rejected 55 - 42 (60 votes required), 4/18/07)
   
• Republicans, at first, said “no” to a raise for American workers. After ten years of a stagnant federal minimum wage, the American people demanded that Congress raise the wage floor to $7.25/hour. In May, under Democratic leadership, Congress achieved that victory for American families, and the first installment of the raise went into effect on July 24, 2007. (110 Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 181, 5/24/07)Nevertheless, before joining with Democrats to pass this important piece of legislation, Senate Republicans first rejected the motion to invoke cloture on the bill and further delayed the raise for American workers. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 23, Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R. 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 rejected 54 - 43 (60 votes required), 1/24/07)
   
• Republicans said “no” to American workers seeking to unionize. Choosing to side with corporations against average workers, Senate Republicans refused to even consider the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007 (EFCA). The legislation would have restored workers’ freedom to form unions and collectively bargain by: 1) strengthening penalties for companies that coerce, intimidate, or retaliate against employees during an organizing campaign or during negotiations for a first contract; 2) establishing a timeline for negotiating a first contract that gets employers to the table, and gives the parties the option of mediation and binding arbitration when employers and workers cannot agree on a first contract; and 3) giving employees the choice of selecting a union via majority sign-up over an election. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 227, Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 800, EFCA, rejected 51 - 48 (60 votes required), 6/26/07)
   
• Republicans said “no” to House representation for the District of Columbia. Turning their back on the citizens of the nation’s capital and the people of Utah, Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have extended the full rights of citizenship to DC residents by providing DC one voting seat, and Utah a fourth seat, in the House of Representatives. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 393, Motion to Invoke Cloture on S. 1257, the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 rejected 57 - 42 (60 votes required), 9/18/07)
   
• Republicans said “no” to restoring habeas corpus. Senate Republicans summarily rejected the efforts of Democrats and three of their own Caucus members to restore the writ of habeas corpus to all Americans. In doing so, they missed a valuable opportunity to begin restoring America’s reputation as a champion of the rule of law and human rights around the world. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 340, Motion to Invoke Cloture on S.Amdt.2022 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008rejected 56 - 43 (60 votes required), 9/19/07)
   
• Republicans said “no” to funding for renewable energy. Senate Republicans rejected a bipartisan-sponsored amendment that would have provided tax incentives for developing clean energy, including clean and green power, alternative vehicles and biofuels, and clean coal technologies. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number: 223, Motion to Invoke Cloture on S. Amdt.1704 rejected 57 -36 (60 votes required), 6/21/07) 

Far from being a“uniter,” President Bush has become the Obstructionist-in-Chief. After having refused to veto a single piece of legislation during the first five years of his Presidency -- when the Republican’s controlled Congress -- and promising to foster the spirit of bipartisanship in the 110^th Congress, President Bush has opposed, threatened to veto, or vetoed, dozens and dozens of bills in the first 11 months of the 110^th Congress. 

• In March, the President vetoed a bill to provide emergency funding to our troops and would have changed course in Iraq. 
   
• In June, the President vetoed bipartisan-supported legislation that would have given hope to more than 100 million Americanswho suffer from diseases or conditions that could one day be treated with therapies derived from stem cell research by lifting restrictions on federally-funded stem cell research.
   
• In October, the President vetoed CHIP, the children’s health care legislation, which was supported by a bipartisan majority of Congress overwhelmingly approved. The President has even threatened to veto an improved version of the children’s health bill, which recently passed the House and Senate.
   
• In November, the President vetoed the bipartisan-supportedWater Resources Development Act (WRDA),which is legislation that authorizes investments in environmental restoration and storm protection along the Gulf Coast, supports the restoration of wetlands and their accompanying ecosystems, increases environmental protection along America’s waterways, and improves the safety of levees across the country. On November 8, in what was a strong rebuke by the House and Senate, Congress overwhelmingly overrode the President’s veto of WRDA. (110^th Congress, Roll Call Vote Number:406, Veto Override on H.R. 1495, Agreed to 79 -14, 11/8/07) 

Continuing this shameful legacy, the President has now threatened to veto theFarm Bill, which would make significant investments in America’s rural communities. 

President Bush has irresponsibly threatened to veto the 2008 appropriations bills that would fund the priorities of American families here at home.Even before seeing a single appropriations bill, the President threatened to veto legislation that exceeds his 2008 budget request. Unfortunately, that budget would shortchange the middle class and America’s future, while spending billions more for Iraq and wasteful tax breaks for multi-millionaires. 

On November 13, the President Bush made good on his threat by vetoing the vitally important Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill, which would have provided $150.7 billion in discretionary funding for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes research; education; access to health care for rural America; and home heating for low-income, elderly Americans. 

This “take it or leave it” approach stands in stark contrast to the Administration’s position on spending when Republicans controlled Congress. Despite spending increases passed by Republicans, President Bush never once vetoed an appropriations bill sent to him by the Republican-led Congresses. The President’s new inflexibility raises questions about whether the Administration is more interested in provoking a partisan fight than in working with Congress to find reasonable compromises and in advancing the interests of the American people. 

Americans elected Democrats to move the country in a new direction, and we are delivering on that promise, in spite of unprecedented opposition by Bush Republicans. The “block and blame” strategy of Congressional Republicans simply will not work. After more than a decade of Republican control, Congressional Democrats are pursuing the priorities and passing the legislation that is important to the American people. In addition to other measures, Democrats have:

• Passed a bill to increase the federal minimum wage; 
   
• Passed an emergency spending bill that included $6 billion for hurricane relief;
   
• Passed a bill to upgrade military health care and provide a 3.5 percent pay raise for our troops; 
   
• Passed an Iraq supplemental appropriations bill that included an additional $1.8 billion for veterans’ health care; 
   
• Passed a bill to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations; 
   
• Passed an ethics and lobbying reform bill; 
   
• Passed a bill to cut subsidies to student lenders and provide $17 billion in grants and other student aid; 
   
• Passed a bill to better regulate the student loan industry; 
   
• Passed a fiscally-responsible budget; 
   
• Passed an energy bill that increased fuel-efficiency standards for the first time since 1975; 
   
• Passed a bill to promote American competitiveness; and 
   
• Passed a bill to improve water quality across the country and protect the Gulf Coast from dangerous storms like Hurricane Katrina.

DPC