Budget Deal Passed: Final House Vote Tally

October 16. 2013 - Every Democrat voted for the Senate-approved budget deal, along with 87 Republicans; 144 Republicans voted no (including Rep. Walden (R-OR)). See how the House members voted. The deal ends the partial government shutdown and provides back-pay for furloughed workers, sequester remains and government, including Obamacare, is funded through Jan. 15. The debt ceiling is raised through Feb. 7th. As usual, bipartisan committees to be formed to present a fix for money problems. The draconian medical device tax remains but a provision to verify the income of those receiving ObamaCare subsidies is included.

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): When half of Senate Republicans are firing cannons at House Republicans, it sabotages the House effort
Rep. John Fleming (R-LA): Rep. 'This fight didn't end last night' Read More......

Senate passes insider-trading bill

Aiming to restore voters' faith in Congress, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday that makes clear it's illegal for members of Congress, their staffs and many executive-branch employees to trade stocks and other securities based on inside information learned on the job. Read more at CNN... Read More......

House vote to REPEAL Obamacare passed

Today, the House of Representatives voted 245-189 to repeal President Obama's health care plan passed by Congress last year, with 3 Democrats joining the majority. This vote is seen as the first step in Republican efforts to repeal and defund the program. To fully repeal the program the Senate must pass the repeal legislation, followed by President Obama's approval. (Hat tip: Newsmax) Read More......

Sunday surprise: Senate unanimously passes food safety bill

THE HILL, 12/19/2010 by Alexander Bolton - The Senate unexpectedly approved food safety legislation by unanimous consent Sunday evening, rescuing a bill that floated in limbo for weeks because of a clerical error. Read more at the HILL...

Unanimous? Unanimous! This is terrible! --bc Read More......

IBD: Beyond Our Means

INVESTORS BUSINESS DAILY/OPINION, posted 07:05 PM ET - Health Care: The California Senate voted last Thursday to create a government-run single-payer medical care program. Do the 22 lawmakers who voted for this bill realize that the state will run out of cash before April? ∴ The state is facing a $20 billion deficit. It's bleeding money. To close the gap, Sacramento will probably cook up some brew of tax hikes, pay cuts for state workers and program cuts. ∴ Despite the deep troubles, the Senate wants to add a program that is expected to cost $200 billion a year, which, in fact, is likely far short of what the plan will actually cost. Read more at IBD...

Good grief! --bc Read More......

GT: Voters OK tax measures; both pass easily in Benton County

CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES, 1/26/2010 by Raju Woodward - Linda Weimer sat quietly in the back room at High 5 Sports Bar & Grill as the results of Tuesday's special election became evident: Measures 66 and 67, which increased taxes on wealthier Oregonians and corporations, respectively, had passed. ∴ She was part of a small group of Benton County Republicans and Americans for Prosperity members gathered at the restaurant at 1644 Main St., in Philomath. ∴ "I'm disappointed," Weimer said. "I expected this, but I thought it would be closer. It could have gone either way. We gave it our best shot." [Snip] About 62 percent of Benton County voters cast a ballot; about 63 percent of them voted "yes" on Measure 66; 61 percent approved Measure 67. Read more at the GT...

See how Benton County and Oregon voted.

Courtesy of the Gazette-Times
How Benton County voted

MEASURE 66 - PERSONAL TAX
Yes 20,253 — 62.9 percent
No 11,971 — 37.2 percent

MEASURE 67 - BUSINESS TAX
Yes 19,783 — 61.4 percent
No 12,439 — 38.6 percent
*Unofficial returns as of 11:30 p.m., Tuesday

How Oregon voted

MEASURE 66 - PERSONAL TAX
Yes 609,201 - 54 percent
No 519,342 - 46 percent

MEASURE 67 - BUSINESS TAX
Yes 602,060 - 53 percent
No 524,636 - 47 percent
* Unofficial returns as of 11:30 p.m. Read More......

Measures 66 and 67 passing by wide margin

OREGONLIVE.COM (The Oregonian), 1/26/2010 - It looks like Oregon corporations and high-income earners will pay higher state taxes as voters weighed in Tuesday on two hotly debated measures. ∴ The latest results indicate both Measure 66 and 67 passed in 11 of Oregon's 36 counties. Read more at Oregonlive...
Read More......

U.S. Senate: Health Bill Passes Committee

FOX NEWS, 10/13/2009 - Health Care Reform Bill Clears Final Senate Panel, Tough Negotiations Loom - The Senate Finance Committee votes to send its version of the legislation to the Senate floor after months of closely watched deliberations. ∴ The committee voted 14-9 in favor of the package. One Republican, Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, broke with her party to support the bill. All 13 Democrats on the panel voted in favor of it, while the rest of the Republicans opposed it. ∴ The panel was the last of five to act on health legislation, and the vote marked the biggest advance so far toward health care reform, as the committee's legislation is considered the best building block for a compromise plan in the full Senate. ∴ President Obama hailed the vote as a "critical milestone," in brief remarks late Tuesday. Read more at FOX...

"It's going to cost us an arm and a leg," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said. "The costs of this are astronomical."

"When history calls, history calls," said Sen. Olympia Snow (the only Republican committee member to vote for the bill), while adding that she had some criticism of the bill.

Read More......