See how your Senator, and others, voted – after the jump…

Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Nay
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Yea
Coburn (R-OK), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Nay
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Yea
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Nay
Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Nay
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Nay
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wicker (R-MS), Nay
Wyden (D-OR), Nay

Post from: EveryJoe

How Did Your Senator Vote on the Bailout?

The bill allocates 700 Billion Dollars to be used buy up shares/assets within the financial market. The goal is to alleviate the nation’s (and other nations’) banking/investment industry load of failing assets – and hopefully restore the credit market.

The Senate was determined to add provisions that would protect “ordinary” investors/savers as well. One “add-on” is a temporary increase in FDIC insurance – from $100k to $250k.

Also, the “revised” bill includes some popular tax provisions – such as a renewable energy incentive and another year of Alternative Minimum Tax relief.

Presidential Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain both voted “aye”.

The House is expected to vote on the bill Friday.

Post from: EveryJoe

Senate Passes Bailout (Version 2.0)

My nerves were completely unfounded, as the “interview” was more of a conversation about the issues facing small businesses, such as health care, taxes and policies that she and her party have planned to assist and revitalize the economy.

And I quickly realized, whilst filtering through my pages of notes, that each topic really deserved its own post – a series of posts.

So, over the next few posts, we’ll discuss: health care costs and availability; taxes and the future of the “Bush tax cuts”; and, plans and incentives for businesses to become more energy efficient.

But first, an introduction:

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz represents the constituents of Pennsylvania’s 13th District, which encompasses parts of Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Ms. Schwartz, after having served 14 years in the PA State Senate, was elected to Congress in 2004. She is currently a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures; she also serves on the House Committee on the Budget. As such, she is very much aware of the issues facing American workers, small businesses and the middle class as a whole. In fact, the Congresswoman’s first legislative proposal offered a one time tax credit to businesses that hire veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Check back next week for more on my interview with Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz.

Post from: EveryJoe

My Interview With Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz: An Introduction.

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers — This page lists campaign contributions that came from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 1989. There are 354 lawmakers on this list.
• Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Takeover Costs Congressmen Who Were Invested — This page lists 28 lawmakers who were invested in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
• Freddie Mac — This page is run down on Freddie Mac’s lobbying and influence.

Post from: EveryJoe

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae’s Government Investments

Tubbs Jones is the first African-American woman to represent Ohio in Congress. She is also a superdelegate and was scheduled to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tubbs Jones Suffers Aneurysm, Conflicting Reports

There have been several attempts to rectify the matter since 2003, but none as serious as the current push to pass S.223. S.223 would require Senate candidates to file electronically, providing for both faster and cheaper processing. S.223 has bipartisan support but is being blocked by several senators, including John Ensign (R-NV).

If you’re interested in helping pass S.223, more information is available at pass223.com.

Post from: EveryJoe

Push the Senate to Disclose Electronically

There’s a title in front of John McCain’s name: Senator. But does he really deserve it? Since January 2007, he’s missed 63 percent of the votes held in the Senate. The last time he was present for a vote was April 8.

Of course it takes a lot of time to campaign for president. Barack Obama has missed 20 votes in the last 20 days. But Obama has actually missed relatively few, and has made a point of showing up for Senate votes every few weeks. He hasn’t let three months go by at a time.

There’s one reason in particular that McCain’s chronic absenteeism has me irked. Despite being a no-show for many important votes, he’s still getting his Senate salary. Since the last time McCain actually voted in the Senate, he’s earned $51,345.08, according to a post this morning at Daily Kos. I can’t think of any other job where you could keep getting paid even if you didn’t show up for 16 weeks.

Post from: EveryJoe

Chronic Absenteeism in Congress

The Bush administration has admitted that the national budget deficit is edging towards $490 billion. The current record is only $413 billion, from 2004.

Of course, that $490 billion isn’t precisely accurate. There are about $80 billion in the U.S.’s military spending that didn’t make it into that estimate, due to the way the budget deficit is calculated.

The estimate hasn’t been officially released yet… an anonymous official slipped a few news agencies a head’s up before a press conference later today. White House press secretary Dana Perino is refusing to comment, although she did point reporters towards the fact that lawmakers agreed to increase the deficit several months ago in order to provide a short-term boost for the economy.

The numbers involved — $490 billion!?! — are getting me all worked into a tizzy. There is, however, another number that should be brought to the party. $490 billion is about 3 percent of the U.S. economy. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the deficit was a much more significant portion of the economy. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned, but the deficit has been relatively higher in the past.

What we really ought to be thinking about, though, is what happens to this deficit. Whoever is actually elected president next November will immediately become responsible for a record deficit. Both major candidates have made some pretty expensive campaign promises — will the government be able to pay for those initiatives with this big burden?

Post from: EveryJoe

Washington’s Record Deficit

served by picapp.com

T. Boone Pickens – the legendary oil man and venture capitalist testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee this week, imploring the Senators, and Congress in general, to support his plan to release the US from their dependency on foreign oil (and oil altogether).

His plan focuses on using one of the US’s greatest resources – wind.

You can check out more of his plan at PickensPlan.com

Post from: EveryJoe

T. Boone Pickens – has a plan.

Can you spot Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in the above clip from The Dark Knight? We only see him from the back, but he’s the gentleman that says: “We’re not intimidated by you thugs.”

The Joker (Heath Ledger’s character) responds: “You know, you remind me of my father. I hate my father.”

This isn’t the good senator from Vermont’s first time in a Batman flick — he’s not an actor, but Leahy had a cameo in Batman and Robin, and voiced a bit role in Batman: The Animated Series.

Post from: EveryJoe

Spot the Senator: The Dark Knight