Roland Burris

invoking cloture would have permitted a vote on, and certain passage of, the unconstitutional DISCLOSE Act to restrict the free speech rights of corporations, unions, and special interest groups.

Invoking cloture would have permitted a vote on, and likely approval of, the DREAM Act amendment to provide amnesty to certain groups of illegal immigrants.

Invoking cloture would have permitted a vote on an amendment to repeal the highly unpopular 1099 IRS reporting provision of the unconstitutional ObamaCare law.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to pay for healthcare for the poor or to fund education. Also, there is no statistical evidence showing that federal involvement in education has increased learning -- though it certainly has increased federal bureaucracy and control.

Kagan is not committed to adhering to the original intent of the Constitution in her judicial decisions. Instead, her public record indicates that she is a legal positivist who will interpret law based on her own ideological bent and effectively revise and rewrite law by judicial fiat.

The estate tax should be permanently eliminated.

Amendment to HR4213 Arizona Immigration Law (Rejected 43 to 55 on 7/21/2010, Roll Call 214). Offered a measure to recommit the bill to the Judiciary Committee with instructions to include language that no funds in any provision of law may be used to participate in a lawsuit against Arizona's immigration law.

Ramping up regulatory control of the financial sector by the Fed and the federal government is not only unconstitutional but will make it exceedingly more difficult for the economy to recover.

SJR26 Greenhouse Gas Regulation (Rejected 47 to 53 on 6/10/2010, Roll Call 184). Would disapprove an Environmental Protection Agency endangerment finding that greenhouse gases may be regulated as pollutants under the Clean Air Act. 

The spending is over and above what the federal government already budgeted for the current fiscal year, Congress never declared war against Iraq and Afghanistan, and some of the spending (e.g., foreign aid) is unconstitutional.

More government control of the economy will do more harm than good.

S3217 Audit the Fed (Rejected 37 to 52 on 5/11/2010, Roll Call 138). Amendment to audit the Federal Reserve.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to manage the healthcare industry.

Raising the national debt limit allows the federal government to borrow more money and continue its gross fiscal irresponsibility.

The economic havoc Bernanke is accountable for at the Fed, a central bank that should not even exist.

HR3590 ObamaCare (Passed 60 to 39 on 12/24/2009, Roll Call 396). Popularly known as "ObamaCare," this bill essentially completed the government takeover of the American healthcare system.

Requiring Americans to buy a particular product -- health insurance in this instance -- is both unconstitutional and an abridgment of economic freedom. The same day, the Senate also rejected by 39-60 a point of order raised by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison that the legislation violates the 10th Amendment.

HR3288 Omnibus Appropriations (Passed 57 to 35 on 12/13/2009, Roll Call 374). Comprised of six appropriations bills that Congress failed to complete separately. The price tag in the final version of HR3288 is $1.1 trillion.

Amendment to HR3590 Abortion (Passed 54 to 45 on 12/8/2009, Roll Call 369). Offered an amendment to prohibit the use of any funding authorized by the bill to pay for abortions or for health plans that cover abortions, except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the mother.

Spending needs to be cut, not increased.

The majority of funding in the bill is unconstitutional and wasteful.

The Department of Energy is not authorized by the Constitution.

Federal aid to farmers and federal food aid to individuals are not authorized by the Constitution.

Virtually every dollar assigned to this bill, whether it is for transportation or housing assistance, is unconstitutional and unaffordable.

Federal government funding of community organizations is not authorized by the Constitution.

Judge Sotomayor is not committed to adhering to the original intent of the Constitution in her judicial decisions.

The federal government should not be subsidizing the car industry and because it is unconstitutional and wasteful.

This legislation would further federalize the criminal code, as well as punish not only criminal acts but the thoughts behind them.

Subordination of U.S. sovereignty to international law and international organizations would undermine the Constitution.

The spending is over and above what the federal government had already budgeted, the United States never declared war against Iraq and Afghanistan, and some of the spending (e.g., Cash for Clunkers and foreign aid) is unconstitutional.

Foreign aid is unconstitutional, and this is deficit spending.

The spending is over and above what the federal government had already budgeted, Congress never declared war against Iraq and Afghanistan, and some of the spending (e.g., foreign aid) is unconstitutional.

Much of the budget is unconstitutional (e.g., foreign aid, education, healthcare, etc.), and the federal government should end deficit spending and live within its means.

National-service programs are not authorized by the Constitution.

Reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine would be an unconstitutional infringement on the right to free speech.

Article 1 Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states, "The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states." The District of Columbia is not a state, and can only become a state (and be entitled to representation in Congress) via a constitutional amendment.

Much of the spending would be unconstitutional and government cannot stimulate the economy by draining money from the private sector.

Federal healthcare programs are unconstitutional and would likely lower the quality of healthcare.

Foreign aid is unconstitutional and the amendment would have helped to protect the right to life.

The Constitution does not authorize Congress to grant financial aid or loans to private companies, i.e., banks and automakers.