Congressional Votes

Reduces funding in the bill for most federal agencies by 15 percent, and rescinds $30 billion in IRS enforcement funds.

Provides roughly $279 billion in spending for three of the 12 fiscal 2024 appropriations bills.

Requires a full audit of the Federal Reserve System.

The deployment of U.S. forces to Niger was not specifically authorized by Congress, and under the Constitution only Congress has the power to declare war.

The federal government has no authority under the Constitution to impose mask mandates.

Appropriates federal funding at bloated fiscal 2023 levels.

It is unconstitutional to force vaccinations on people.

Recognizes that the North Atlantic Treaty "does not supersede the constitutional requirement that Congress declare war."

Formally disapproves of an unconstitutional ATF rule expanding the definition of a "short-barreled rifle."

The federal government has no authority under the Constitution to implement environmental regulations. Furthermore, the EPA's rule feeds right into the climate-change hoax and, by extension, the UN's Agenda 2030, and would impose onerous regulations on businesses.

Decreases federal spending from $4.8 to $3.9 trillion over four years.

Suspends the debt limit through January 1, 2025 and create caps on "discretionary" spending for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, among many other dubious changes.

The claim that the ERA is a "valid … part of the Constitution" is a sham. When Congress submitted the ERA to the states for ratification in 1972, it set a seven-year ratification period that ended on March 22, 1979. During that period, 35 states ratified the ERA, but four of those states reconsidered and rescinded their ratifications. This left the ERA seven states short of the three-fourths majority (38 states) needed to become part of the Constitution. Prior to the deadline, when it became apparent the 38-state threshold would not be reached, Congress extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. This legally dubious extension caused a fifth state to rescind, and during the extension period no new states ratified. In recent years, three new states have ratified the ERA. But to claim that this makes the ERA part of the Constitution is to ignore the long-expired deadlines, as well as the five states that rescinded.

Unconstitutionally authorizes $95 million annually through fiscal 2030 for the USFA, increasing funding levels by 24 percent.

Overturns the Department of Veterans Affairs rule allowing medical coverage for abortion counseling and procedures.

Both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the latest Biden administration rule were allowed to stand, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any body of water, no matter how small.

It is unconstitutional to suspend the Constitution by declaring national public-health emergencies.

In recent decades both the Executive Branch and Congress have regularly skirted the constitutional requirement in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution that treaties have to be made with the "Advice and Consent of the Senate … provided two thirds of the Senators present concur." Instead of recognizing agreements as treaties, they unconstitutionally designate them as "executive agreements," thereby enabling the president and Congress to avoid seeking the advice and consent of the Senate and pass them by a simple majority of the House and Senate, rather than the more rigorous threshold of two-thirds of the senators present.

Repeals the unconstitutional 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force.

Overturns the Labor Department's rule allowing retirement-plan fiduciaries to use ESG.

Spends $1.7 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

Repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and codifies the "right" to marry regardless of sexual orientation.

It is unconstitutional to suspend the U.S. Constitution by declaring national public health emergencies.

Ratifies the Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, requiring the U.S. to increase regulations.

Congress should ensure that executive branch officials do not abridge parents' freedom of speech or their right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances, which is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Spends at least $512 billion on multiple unconstitutional and left-wing programs and initiatives.

Under the U.S. Constitution, only the Congress may declare war.

NATO is based on the principle of collective security, as opposed to each country acting in its own best interests. Under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, "The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them … shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them … will assist the Party or Parties so attacked." The expansion of this entangling military alliance, which was comprised of just 12 members at the time of its founding, increases the likelihood of the United States being drawn into a military conflict.

Would offset the cost of S. 3373 by prohibiting USAID from distributing foreign-aid funds, other than to Israel, for 10 years.

Spends $54.2 billion on multiple unconstitutional research, development, and manufacturing programs, and authorizes an additional $168.7 billion in spending.

Implements new federal gun controls and mental-health programs.

Unconstitutionally spends $40.1 billion in aid to Ukraine.

Unconstitutionally spends $48 billion in grants to small businesses harmed by government Covid restrictions.

Roe v. Wade was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, giving states the power to determine how they handle abortions. There is no constitutional provision granting a right to abortion. Many of our healthcare providers are subsidized by taxpayers, and government should not subsidize the killing of innocent human life.

Jackson is supportive of unconstitutional actions and clearly supports the woke agenda.

The CDC rule requiring persons to wear masks while on planes, trains, and buses is unconstitutional based on the 10th Amendment.

Would "prohibit funding for COVID-19 vaccine mandates."

Spends $1.5 trillion on multiple unconstitutional programs and agencies.

Not only does this bill undermine election integrity, but it infringes upon federalism and state sovereignty as established under the Constitution and its 10th Amendment.

Allowed the the Senate to pass a $2.5 trillion debt-limit increase, bypassing the filibuster and other normal obstacles to passage.

The Constitution does not grant the power to any branch of the federal government to force citizens to submit to vaccinations.

Among other radical changes, gives the U.S. Department of Justice the power to unilaterally approve or reject any state election-law changes.

Implements a sweeping federalization of American elections. Mandates nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration, and mail-in voting.

Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress authorized to allocate federal funding for education or to promote any particular curriculum in schools. Furthermore, critical Race Theory (CRT) is a radical and divisive theory that forces students to see and acknowledge others primarily by their skin color and racial ancestry, rather than by individual merits. CRT is part of the broader Marxist-inspired "Black Lives Matter" agenda and has its roots in Marxist "Critical Theory" originating from the Frankfurt School and Fabian Socialists. The federal government has no business promoting this extremist, anti-American agenda in our children's schools.

Unconstitutionally funds the hiring of 100,000 new local police officers nationwide with federal money.

Sets budgetary levels to guide Congress in crafting, and is a necessary first step for the then-$3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act.

The federal government should not interfere with energy exploration. Regulation of various industries, such as energy, is not one of the federal government's enumerated powers under the Constitution. Allowing the United States to fully utilize its energy resources would make the country more self-sufficient and potentially create millions of jobs.

There is no constitutional provision granting a right to abortion, Roe v. Wade notwithstanding; and pro-life taxpayers should not be forced to fund a lethal practice that violates their deeply held religious convictions.

Would reduce federal spending by over $500 billion and eliminate the deficit by fiscal 2026.

Spends $1.2 trillion on wasteful projects and socialized programs.

Would implement a sweeping federalization of American elections with provisions that would severely damage election integrity, including nationwide Internet, automatic, and same-day voter registration, mail-in voting, and early voting.

Unconstitutionally authorizes $250 billion over five years for federal funding of research and development programs.

Would have banned taxpayer funds in S. 1260 from going to research that destroys or creates human embryos.

Would have limited the federal government's unconstitutional authority to reserve water rights when designating a national monument.

Extends the Treasury Department's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from March 31 to June 30, 2021 despite no constitutional authorization.

Spends $1.9 trillion on unconstitutional programs in the name of coronavirus relief.

The Senate may not constitutionally convict a private citizen, and Trump did not commit any crime.

Would allow for legislation enforcing the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy that requires illegal migrants attempting to gain asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico.

Would reduce federal spending by $67.4 billion in fiscal 2022 alone, and by a total of $7.2 trillion over 10 years.

Paul's point is constitutionally unassailable. The Constitution states, "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Yet as of January 20, when Joe Biden was sworn in as president, Trump was a private citizen to whom the impeachment power does not apply.

We oppose. The act includes spending not only for legitimate national defense, but also for military interventionism in foreign lands that does not make America safer. Also, the legislation undercuts the president's legitimate authority as commander-in-chief by restricting his ability to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea.

Spends $1.4 trillion in discretionary appropriations and another $900 billion in Covid aid.

We oppose. The Affordable Care Act is an unconstitutional monstrosity of government intervention into the healthcare sector and is anything but affordable. ObamaCare reduced individual choice in the health-insurance market, increased costs for many Americans, and has been a poorly run boondoggle from the beginning, exactly what is to be expected when the federal government attempts to regulate and subsidize healthcare, something it has no constitutional authority to do.

We oppose. Congress needs to cut spending to avoid fiscal disaster. Additionally, Congress' inability to promptly pass a 2021 budget, instead using a continuing appropriations bill, illustrates the breakdown of the federal budgeting process.

We support killing the amendment. The U.S. government should not be attempting to regulate healthcare or health insurance in any way, shape, or form. The Constitution clearly does not allow the federal government to involve itself in healthcare. Decisions about health insurance coverage should be left up to insurance companies. Federal regulations and/or subsidies in the healthcare sector tend to distort the market and have in large part caused the current out-of-control insurance prices we see today.

We oppose. National defense is an essential function of the federal government. This is not to say that the budget is not "bloated" (the Pentagon budget does contain waste, and not all military spending is defense spending), but unnecessary military spending should be cut, not transferred to social-welfare programs falling outside the Constitution's specified powers.

We oppose. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government authorized to subsidize private businesses. If such subsidies are allowed, then any business could potentially be subsidized at the expense of any other, with the government essentially picking winners and losers in the marketplace, causing great economic distortion.

We oppose the Senate's decision to table Senator Paul's amendment. It is long past time to bring the troops home. The AUMF that the amendment would repeal has been used broadly by presidents to send troops into foreign conflicts, despite the fact that under the Constitution only Congress may declare war.

Permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million annually. Creates the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (NPPLLRF), funded at $1.9 billion annually for five years.

We oppose. Profligate spending needs to be immediately brought under control and deficits eliminated to avoid fiscal disaster. Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible spending habits that yielded an annual federal deficit of $3.1 trillion in fiscal 2020.

Prohibits surveillance of American citizens under FISA authorities.

We oppose. While many of the proposed FISA modifications positive from a freedom and privacy standpoint, Congress should have instead voted to not reauthorize the FISA and let it expire. Despite the program's title, the act permits surveillance of Americans who are not charged with any crime.

We oppose. Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress authorized to bail out businesses, industries, and people.

We support. According to the U.S. Constitution, only Congress may declare war. It is unfortunate that Congress has to pass a resolution enforcing this, but doing so puts a check on the war powers assumed by recent presidents.

We oppose. In his actions on Ukraine, Trump did not commit "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors," the constitutional requirement for impeaching and removing a president or other U.S. "civil officer." The House presented no evidence of any "high crimes." Trump was accused of withholding aid from Ukraine, but the aid was provided. Also, there is no crime in making a request to investigate Hunter Biden and Burisma, as was alleged.

We oppose. The "obstruction of Congress" charge does not rise to the level of the "high crimes and misdemeanors" for which a president may be impeached and removed. There is uncontestable truth to the charge: Trump did direct the executive branch to ignore subpoenas issued by highly partisan, pro-impeachment House committees. What is contested is whether a president may constitutionally ignore such subpoenas. But that is an issue for the federal judiciary, not impeachment, to decide.

We oppose. Congress is not authorized by the Constitution to surrender our national sovereignty to any transnational regional government, including the nascent North American Union.

We oppose. Most of the spending programs in this appropriations bill are unconstitutional. Also, congressional spending for fiscal 2020 is grossly fiscally irresponsible. In mid-2020, our national debt was about $26 trillion, and the federal budget deficit for 2020 was expected to be an astounding $3.8 trillion.

Provides $860.3 billion in discretionary spending for four of the 12 fiscal 2020 appropriations bills.

We oppose. The United States should stay out of entangling alliances like NATO. Also, the NATO provision that obligates the United States to go to war if any NATO member is attacked undermines the U.S. Constitution's assignment to Congress the power to declare war.

Cuts the appropriation bill's funding for federal operations and services by 2 percent.

We oppose. Congress is failing to address its fiscally- and constitutionally-irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is yielding annual federal deficits of about $1 trillion. This directly contributes to the national debt's growth.

We oppose. Spending must be brought under control, and deficits must be eliminated to avoid fiscal disaster — not "down the road," but now. Additionally, much of the bill's spending is unconstitutional.

We support Senator Udall's amendment. Hostilities conducted against a sovereign nation — in this case Iran — constitute an act of war and, thus, constitutionally requires a declaration of war by Congress.

We support Senator Rand Paul's amendment and oppose the Senate's vote to kill it. Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress authorized to fund the foreign aid funding that Paul sought to eliminate, and which had nothing to do with border appropriations. These types of programs should be handled privately, not with U.S. taxpayers' money.

We oppose. The federal government has no constitutional authority to rebuild areas stricken by natural disasters. Such activity should be undertaken by private companies and charities first, and, as a last resort, handled by local or state governments. Disasters would arguably be handled more effectively this way compared to the feds.

We support. Congress has the power to declare war, and it has not authorized any intervention or war in Yemen. Nor should Congress do so since the civil war in Yemen does not threaten the U.S.

We oppose. Most of the bill's spending programs are unconstitutional and unacceptably expand our debt and deficit.

We oppose. The Constitution does not authorize Congress to purchase private property except "all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings."

Prohibits the use of federal funds to cover the cost of most abortions.

To advance Senate Joint Res. 54, which would remove U.S. Armed Forces from "hostilities" in Yemen that have "not been authorized by Congress."

Would nullify the rule from the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and HHS that would expand the duration of short-term health insurance plans.

Reauthorizes appropriations for the FAA and TSA, as well as $1.7 billion for Hurricane Florence disaster relief.

Would provide $855.1 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2019.

Medicare and Medicaid are both unconstitutional programs. The U.S. Constitution gives no authority to the federal government to pay people's medical expenses, no matter how poor or disabled they are. Such assistance should be handled by states, charity, or the free market. Any expansion of Medicare or Medicaid, which is what this bill authorizes, should be voted against.

To prohibit federal funding of Planned Parenthood.

Much of this spending falls outside the federal government's constitutionally delegated powers. The unconstitutional spending includes federal social-welfare programs such as food and farm subsidies and housing subsidies (under HUD). Also, lumping multiple appropriations bills together, as opposed to voting on them separately, reduces lawmakers' accountability.

The federal government needs to start reining in climbing federal spending (and deficits) somewhere in order to avert fiscal disaster.

To reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO.

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to subsidize food or agriculture. Moreover, food subsidies have done little to lift people out of poverty, and farm subsidies have caused market distortions as the government essentially picks winners and losers in the food production industry.

To repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 "Waters of the United States" rule.

This spending falls outside the scope of constitutionally authorized federal powers, and the federal government needs to start reining in ballooning federal spending (and debt) somewhere in order to avert fiscal disaster. The cuts in this bill comprise only a fraction of one percent of total federal spending, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, most of the unspent funding targeted by the bill would not be spent anyway. Yet modest cuts are better than none at all.

To uphold the right to due process for U.S. citizens and permanent residents on American soil.

Haspel was complicit in the use of torture, including waterboarding, a violation of U.S. law as well as the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishments."

Regulation of the Internet is not a proper function of the federal government under the Constitution. The new FCC rule under Commissioner Pai was more of a hands-off approach to the Internet, allowing service providers to set their own rules. This is the correct approach, as any provider "throttling" service or overcharging customers will lose business to more competitive providers in a free market setting. Government, in scenarios such as these, will nearly always cause more problems than it claims to attempt to solve. Case in point: Regulations are not always applied equally, as under the Obama FCC rule some sites were forced to "play fair," while some of the big guys, such as Netflix and Google, could still set their own rules.

Would provide $1.3 trillion in wasteful and unconstitutional government spending.

Would remove U.S. Armed Forces from "hostilities" in Yemen that have "not been authorized by Congress."

To provide "conditional permanent residence" (i.e., amnesty) to DACA program recipients.

The flood of illegal immigrants into the United States has risen to the level of an invasion swamping our Republic, and political entities that provide sanctuary to illegal aliens in contravention of federal immigration laws should not expect to do so while receiving federal aid.

Would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through 2023, allowing secret FISA Court-approved surveillance of American citizens.

The tax cuts in this bill will keep more money in the hands of American businesses and consumers, where it can be invested into the economy, thus spurring economic growth. Unfortunately, however, the bill does not address federal spending, which needs to be reined in via other legislation.

Federal involvement in natural disaster relief is not only unconstitutional, but also wasteful, inefficient, ineffective, and often harmful. Disaster relief is much better handled by states, counties, and local communities, coupled with volunteer efforts from across the country.

Would cut $43 billion in federal budget authority in fiscal 2018.

The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in healthcare, and all government meddling causes more healthcare problems, such as rising healthcare costs.

The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to get involved in the Internet, which operates best without intrusive government regulation.

To repeal, six months after the bill's enactment, the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Would establish new sanctions and expand certain existing sanctions on Russian, Iran, and North Korea.

Would have expired the expansion of Medicaid, prohibited tax credits for healthcare plans that provide abortion coverage, banned federal funds for abortion, and repealed the ObamaCare mandates.

Confirms President Trump's appointment of John Kenneth Bush to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Would impose new sanctions on Iran and Russia, and codify sanctions imposed by the Obama administration on Russia.

To "affirm" that the U.S. remains "fully committed" to NATO.

The United States should not interject itself in foreign conflicts such as the civil war in Yemen (via arms sales to one of the combatants in that conflict — Saudi Arabia), and should not take steps tantamount to going to war without a declaration of war by Congress.

Would provide $1.16 trillion in discretionary appropriations through September 30, 2017.

Would nullify a HHS rule that prevents states that distribute federal family planning funding from prohibiting receipt of funds by abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.

The United States should stay clear of entangling alliances such as NATO. Moreover, NATO also obligates that the United States go to war if any member of NATO is attacked, which undermines the provision in the U.S. Constitution that assigns to Congress the power to declare war. Montenegro, which was part of communist Yugoslavia during the Cold War era, is now one of 28 countries the United States is obligated to defend under NATO.

Since the power of wildlife management was not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, it is reserved to Alaska and the other 49 states according to the 10th Amendment.

Would nullify a Social Security rule that outlines reporting information on individuals to the FBI's firearm background checks system (NICS).

Would nullify the "Stream Protection Rule" issued in 2016 by the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

The rapid projected growth in future spending for social "entitlement" programs under current law is unsustainable due to both the declining ratio between workers and Social Security recipients, and also the fact that people are living longer. Plus, there is no constitutional authorization for these programs. Those who genuinely want to help the needy should recognize that the best way to do it is to phase out government social-welfare programs in favor of private alternatives.

Would remove $9.7 trillion worth of new debt and balance the budget by 2024.

Army Corps of Engineers water projects are unconstitutional. Nowhere does the Constitution give the federal government authority to "restore" or "improve" the environment or guarantee safe drinking water. Such projects, if needed, should be handled by the states and cities. Further, many of the Army Corps of Engineers projects actually have disastrous results, far from what was originally intended.

Provides funding for federal government operations at the fiscal year 2016 level through 4/28/2017 at an annualized rate of $1.07 trillion.

The authorizations in this bill go way beyond providing for our national defense. Our foreign military interventions in the Middle East in particular have exacerbated terrorism and undermined U.S. security. The creation of the Orwellian "Global Engagement Center," which was added to the NDAA without Congress being able to vote on it as a stand-alone bill, also falls outside the scope of legitimate national defense. Rather than agreeing to the version of NDAA they did, our lawmakers should have rejected it and passed instead a constitutionally sound version.

The United States should not interject itself in foreign conflicts such as the civil war in Yemen, and should not take steps tantamount to going to war without congressional debate and a declaration of war by Congress.

Attempting to help citizens deal with drug overdose and addiction is not a responsibility of the U.S. government under the Constitution. While it is arguably better to treat addicts as people having a medical problem rather than as criminals needing incarceration, this is not a constitutional use of taxpayer money. Such programs, if handled by government, should be handled by local or state governments rather than the federal government.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a national mandatory disclosure standard for genetically modified organism (GMO) food.

The presence of "sanctuary cities," in which cities and states harbor illegal immigrants and protect them from deportation, is a violation of federal immigration law. Saying such cities and states are ineligible for federal grants, while imperfect in that it essentially uses federal (and likely unconstitutional) grant money as a "bribe," is still a step in the right direction.

Restricting non-criminals from flying is a violation of the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of "due process of law," and linking firearm ownership to a federal no-fly list is a violation of the Second Amendment's protection of the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The federal no-fly list includes many people with no criminal record, and some people with identical or similar names to convicted criminals are erroneously placed on the list.

Federally mandated background checks for all firearm purchases have long been a goal of gun-control advocates, as they could easily be used to restrict firearm ownership by setting arbitrary requirements for passing the background checks. Murphy's amendment is a blatant violation of the Second Amendment, which prohibits the federal government from infringing upon the people's right to keep and bear arms.

Funding overseas contingency operations for domestic programs is not "defense" spending and does not belong in the NDAA. The federal government has no constitutional authority to engage in such spending for operations in other countries, and using American taxpayer dollars in an attempt to fight drugs and disease is inappropriate.

Prohibits the use of funds to carry out the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule and notice of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Any federal involvement in the transportation or housing markets via regulations or subsidies is an overstepping of constitutional boundaries. Government involvement in the housing market can cause market distortions, and subsidizing housing for those who cannot afford it is a form of wealth redistribution. While helping veterans is arguably constitutional, the Department of Veterans affairs, and the Veterans Health Administration in particular, is a bloated, inefficient bureaucracy and a perfect example of the failures of socialized medicine. The federal government ought to cover veterans' healthcare costs but allow them to use the same private sector healthcare services that non-veterans use. This would be cheaper, offer better care, and be more efficient than the current VA boondoggle, and be constitutional.

The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to regulate or otherwise get involved in energy production. Particularly troubling is the $95 million subsidy for wind energy, which is an intermittent energy source that will not replace any conventional energy utilities. While chump change when compared to most federal spending, it is still unconstitutional and a crony-capitalist venture whereby the government is rigging the market by picking winners and losers. The federal government should stay out of energy production, period, and leave it up to a free market to decide what type of and how much energy should be produced.

The U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to regulate and/or manage segments of the economy, such as aviation. Airplane manufacturers, airlines, and airports should all be privately run, and not subsidized by the federal government.

Authorize funding for additional Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

King's adamant support for Common Core and its universal one-size fits all approach to local education. Moreover, the Department of Education is unconstitutional.

U.S. presidents, including Obama, have established these national monuments through executive orders, thereby placing huge tracts of land off-limits to development, without the approval of either Congress or the states where the land is located.

Both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the rule were to be allowed to go into effect, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any "body of water," no matter how small.

Congress is authorized to protect each state against invasion.

The Federal Reserve system, essentially a cartel of private banks functioning as a central bank, is unconstitutional and is responsible for much of the nation's current financial problems via its control of money and credit. An audit of the Fed would shed light on its otherwise secretive practices and perhaps lead to its eventual abolishment.

With this omnibus bill members of Congress are failing to address their fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is currently yielding annual federal deficits measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars, as well as minimizing their accountability to the voters by combining all discretionary federal spending for fiscal 2016 into one gigantic "take it or leave it" bill.

As explained in House vote 19, the federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved with education; nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is education listed as one of the government's enumerated powers. K-12 education, if publicly funded, should be run primarily by parents coordinating with local school districts rather than by a centralized bureaucracy out of Washington, D.C.

The federal government should not hinder existing power plants with regulations that stifle energy production and increase rates, there is no authorization in the Constitution for the federal government to interfere in the energy sector, and CO2 is not a pollutant.

Both federal water regulations and the EPA are unconstitutional, and if the rule were to be allowed to go into effect, activities such as farming and real estate development would be greatly hampered, since farmers and developers would be subject to increased unconstitutional permit requirements and fines concerning their treatment of almost any "body of water," no matter how small.

Temporarily suspends the national debt limit and puts a ceiling on how much money the federal government is allowed to borrow.

The federal government should not, and has no constitutional authority to, subsidize the killing of innocent human life.

The Export-Import Bank, as explained in House vote 16, is a poster boy for corporate cronyism. The government finances or insures foreign purchases from U.S. companies that commercial banks are unwilling or unable to finance owing to the political or commercial risks inherent in the deals, leaving taxpayers on the hook in the event of default.

TPA would facilitate the subordination of the national independence of the United States to regional blocs of nations in a process that is leading toward a world government.

Any form of torture is a violation of a person's God-given rights, regardless of whether or not the person is a U.S. citizen. In fact, the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment." The U.S. government is not above the rule of law, and any government agency or agent must be held accountable to a standard that respects human rights and dignity.

Arming foreign fighters would be an act of war, and under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress may declare war. Moreover, our interventionist policy in the Middle East has exacerbated terrorism. In Syria, for example, arming the so-called moderate rebels helped create the ISIS threat. And regarding Iraq, arms sent to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) could also fall into the hands of the rival Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a communist terrorist group dedicated to the creation of a Marxist-Leninist state of Kurdistan. The KRG is divided between the more conservative Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK) of Iraq and the left-wing Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which is affiliated with the Socialist International.

The federal government has no constitutional authority risking taxpayers' money to provide loans and terms that the private sector considers too risky to provide. Indeed, U.S. government-backed export financing is a form of corporate welfare, and if the Ex-Im Bank went bust (as happened to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae), the taxpayers would have been stuck holding the bag. The bank's charter was not reauthorized, and it expired on June 30, 2015.

Federal jobs programs are unconstitutional. Moreover, it makes no sense to claim that the federal government must cough up federal funds to help workers who will lose their jobs to supposedly jobs-creating trade agreements.

Renews the on-again-off-again "fast track authority" that Congress has often awarded to the president over the past several decades.

Lynch is supportive of blatantly unconstitutional actions on the part of the executive branch.

No branch of government has been empowered by the Constitution to force Americans to buy health insurance.

This resolution steals wealth from some to give to others, cause an overabundance of workers in certain job fields (meaning grossly wasted funds), and expand unconstitutional federal involvement in education.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to interject itself in the education sector, and Common Core is intended to create a national curriculum leading to nationalizing education.

The UN Arms Trade Treaty is an attempt by a global governance body, the United Nations, to regulate weapons. Such regulation is at odds with the American ideals of national sovereignty and freedom to bear arms without infringement by government. While the UN likely wouldn't march into American neighborhoods to confiscate guns the moment the treaty was ratified, ratification of the treaty would be a step in the wrong direction. Any opposition to the UN Arms Trade Treaty is to be commended.

Under the U.S. Constitution, "all legislative powers herein granted" are delegated to Congress, and it is the responsibility of the president to faithfully execute the law. The president is not a "king" or "dictator" who may make his own law.

The federal government has no constitutional authority to regulate industry practices or set drinking water standards. These standards are monitored and enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is itself an unconstitutional agency created by executive order.

Senator Cruz raised a constitutional point of order that the bill violates the Constitution's separation of powers because the bill would fund President Obama's executive action on amnesty.

With this fiscal 2015 omnibus appropriations bill, Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is currently yielding annual federal deficits measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars that contribute directly to the dramatic growth of our already $18 trillion national debt.

This bill essentially gets the federal government out of the way of economic development. While one could correctly argue that the federal government should not have been involved in this issue in the first place, and that from a constitutional standpoint it should be left up to the states, private property owners, and TransCanada to work out an arrangement, this bill is definitely a step in the right direction since it would remove unconstitutional federal regulatory road blocks against the pipeline project.

The federal government has no constitutional authorization to determine the value of employees' labor in the private sector, whether in the absolute sense or relative to other wages. Wages instead should be determined by the market.

This proposed constitutional amendment would effectively repeal the free speech provision of the First Amendment, since restricting the amount of money that may be spent on political speech would restrict political speech.

most of the $3.6 billion requested by President Obama would be used to expand his amnesty program of deferred action for childhood arrivals, an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress' power to "to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization."

Transfers local transportation infrastructure projects to the states.

Would force employers to pay for contraceptives (including abortifacients) even when they object on religious grounds.

There is no constitutional authorization for federal workforce-training programs. This is not to say that workforce training is a bad thing, but such programs are best handled by the private sector, which would surely provide more and better jobs if the federal government were to siphon less money out of the economy for programs to improve the economy.

Fischer's record indicates that he is supportive of central bank inflationary policies that create economic havoc. Moreover, the Federal Reserve, America's central bank that creates money out of thin air, is unconstitutional.

Opposing the nomination of such a high-ranking establishment operative to be point person for implementing the unconstitutional ObamaCare law should be a no-brainer for Constitution-supporting senators.

Any debate on the Senate floor that could prevent a federal minimum wage increase is a good thing. A federal minimum wage is unconstitutional, since nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government authorized to dictate how much private businesses pay their employees for services performed as part of a private, voluntary contract. Furthermore, many studies have demonstrated that minimum wage increases always lead to more unemployment among the poor and unskilled workers, the very people whom the wage increase is ostensibly intended to help.

By paying people unemployment benefits, the federal government is essentially subsidizing unemployment. That the federal government does this in the first place is bad enough, but any extension of said benefits is even worse. At a time when government debt is nearly $17 trillion, paying unemployment benefits is fiscally irresponsible. Furthermore, the U.S. Constitution nowhere authorizes the federal government to provide unemployment benefits to workers. This type of welfare should be handled on the state or local level, if handled by the government at all.

Provides $150 million for direct aid to Ukraine.

Childcare funding is an unconstitutional activity of the federal government.

The federal government should live within its means, suspending the debt limit is even worse than raising it, and most of the spending responsible for the ballooning national debt is unconstitutional.

Both farm aid and food aid are unconstitutional. The food subsidy programs are supposed to help the poor, but in practice they have done little to lift people out of poverty, as evidenced by the growing number of recipients of these programs.

This budget agreement Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is currently yielding annual federal deficits measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars that contribute directly to the dramatic growth of our $17 trillion national debt.

The economic havoc, caused by inflation, that Yellen contributed to as vice-chair and that she intends to continue as the new chair of the Fed. Furthermore, a central bank, such as the Fed, that creates money out of thin air is not authorized by the Constitution.

This budget agreement Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that is currently yielding annual federal deficits measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars that contribute directly to the dramatic growth of our $17 trillion national debt.

The federal government is overstepping its constitutional boundaries by dictating the hiring practices of private employers. While the exemption for religious organizations is a good thing, the bill is still a serious infringement on private property rights as it limits what a person can and cannot do on his or her private property, in this case a business.

The federal government should live within its means and because most of the spending responsible for the ballooning national debt is unconstitutional.

Continues funding government operations, including ObamaCare.

The bill contains appropriations for huge amounts of unconstitutional spending.

Continues funding the federal government, including ObamaCare.

The bill called for more spending and of the spending is unconstitutional.

a reduction in foreign aid, particularly in the form of military assistance, is a good thing. The Constitution does not authorize the government to give foreign aid and meddle in other nations internal affairs, so while Paul's amendment would allow for the resumption of aid to Egypt, it would still be an improvement on the status quo.

forcing a vote on an unconstitutional action of the federal government is a bad thing. The U.S. government should not be in the business of subsidizing higher education to begin with, and continuing a low interest rate on student loans would merely encourage this unconstitutional activity. Additionally, owing to the ease of obtaining government loans for education and the sheer amount of unpaid student debt, the nation is now facing a colossal "student debt bubble" that could have severe negative economic consequences.

The large-scale amnesty and new visa programs coupled with a lack of effective border security would lead to both large increases in legal immigration and continuing large-scale illegal immigration, even though the U.S. government has the duty under Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution to "protect [every state] against Invasion." Furthermore, we have assigned pluses to the nays because, by granting amnesty, increasing levels of legal immigration, and permitting continued large-scale illegal immigration, this bill provides a transition to the open borders sought by the advocates of a North American Union and other regional government schemes threatening our national sovereignty.

It is the constitutional duty of the United States to "protect [every state] against Invasion" (Article IV, Section 4).

Both federal food and farm subsidies are unconstitutional. Though the CBO estimates that S. 954 would cost $18 billion less over 10 years than under current law, this reduction would only be 1.9 percent of projected spending.

The federal government does not have the constitutional authority to prevent states from enacting their own product-labeling requirements.

The Internet sales tax would essentially be a tax on interstate commerce, which is unconstitutional according to Article I Section 9: \"No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.\" Furthermore, requiring online retailers to collect sales taxes from numerous states would pose onerous burdens to small businesses and hinder economic growth.

Sen. Feinstein offered an amendment that would ban the future manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of certain semi-automatic firearms.

Banning high-capacity ammunition clips for law-abiding citizens is a clear violation of the Constitution — the Second Amendment guarantees that our "right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Sen. Inhofe offered an amendment to "uphold Second Amendment rights and prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty."

The federal government should allow entrepreneurs to develop energy resources, rather than deny access.

Any reduction of unconstitutional federal agencies and massive amounts of debt-laden, unconstitutional federal spending, without revenue increases, is desirable.

The federal government should live within its means and because most of the spending responsible for the ballooning national debt is unconstitutional.

Federally financing disaster relief is unconstitutional.

Passage of this mammoth continuing resolution provided a way for Congress to perpetuate its fiscally irresponsible, unconstitutional spending habits with a minimum of accountability to its constituents.

The private owners of critical infrastructure are already heavily regulated and don't need to be further burdened with additional supposedly voluntary regulations in the name of cybersecurity.

Extending the tax cuts keeps more money in the hands of citizens, where it can be invested into the economy, thus spurring economic growth. Of course, the deficits need to be eliminated, but the way to accomplish this is to cut spending, not increase taxes. (After the substitute amendment was rejected, the Senate passed Reid's bill to raise taxes for the "rich.")

The legislation would have a chilling effect on political free speech by exposing donors to threats and intimidation. Free speech is protected by the First Amendment, which makes no exceptions for anonymous political donors, stating simply: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech." In fact, some of the Founding Fathers engaged in anonymous free speech at times, such as when Madison, Jay, and Hamilton wrote The Federalist Papers under the pseudonym "Publius."

Much of the spending is unconstitutional.

The EPA is an unconstitutional agency created by executive order. It should not even exist, let alone engage in aerial surveillance for the purpose of detecting supposed violations of its regulations. Furthermore, while the surveillance is conducted from "public" airspace, so to speak, the air is not the subject of the surveillance. The use of the air is not unconstitutional, but the purpose of that use is unconstitutional, since it violates the Fourth Amendment protection against search of one's person, house, papers, and effects without probable cause and a warrant "particularly describing ... the persons or things to be seized."

Authorized federal farm and food assistance programs for five years. The programs include crop subsidies, food stamps, and foreign food aid.

EPA Regulations. After the Environmental Protection Agency established the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards that cap toxin emissions from coal-fired power plants, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) sponsored a joint resolution (S. J. Res. 37) to nullify the regulations. Sen. Inhofe said the "EPA's Utility MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) is designed to destroy jobs by killing off the coal industry. EPA admits itself that the Utility MACT rule would cost an unprecedented $11 billion to implement. Of course these costs will come in the form of higher electricity rates for every American.... The Utility MACT would destroy over 1 million jobs and cost the American economy billions of dollars."

A motion to proceed to consideration of the measure was defeated on June 20, 2012 by a vote of 46 to 53 (Roll Call 139). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the EPA is an unconstitutional agency created by executive order, and while the Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate trade between states, federal agencies do not have constitutional authority to impose environmental regulations on industry. Moreover, the regulations will lead to the premature closure of many power plants, leading to more expensive, less reliable electricity for consumers.

North Korea is a totalitarian regime and foreign aid is unconstitutional.

The Constitution does not grant Congress the legislative power to acquire ownership of or conservation easement rights over large tracts of land within the states.

FDA censorship of health claims is a violation of the right to free speech protected by the First Amendment, and because the federal government is using armed agents to enforce unconstitutional regulations — e.g., against the selling of raw milk.

The federal government has no constitutional authority risking taxpayers' money to provide loans the private sector considers too risky to provide. Indeed, U.S. government backed export financing is a form of corporate welfare, and if the Ex-Im Bank goes bust (as happened to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae), the taxpayers will get stuck holding the bag.

Opens up part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and natural-gas development, expand lease sales for offshore drilling, and approve the Keystone oil pipeline.

The government has no constitutional business rewarding government-favored business interests. Instead, the market should decide "winners" and "losers" in the energy sector, as in other sectors of the economy, to ensure that wasteful, harmful, or inefficient entities are kept to a minimum.

The federal government should allow entrepreneurs to develop energy resources, rather than deny access to the resources.

The EPA is unconstitutional and EPA regulations harm the economy. Though Collins' amendment would not have killed the boiler regulations, it would at least have delayed them.

To quote Thomas Jefferson, "No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority."

Amendment to propose an amendment to the Constitution that limits the number of terms a Member of Congress may serve.

The federal government should live within its means and because most of the spending responsible for the ballooning national debt is unconstitutional.

Many of the bill's spending programs — e.g., education, housing, foreign aid, etc. — are unconstitutional, and the country is running trillion-dollar annual deficits.

The War on Terror must not be allowed to destroy legal protections stretching back to the Magna Carta.

Congress has no constitutional authority to fund many of the programs in the bill, including the farm programs, food programs, and housing (under HUD).

The federal government has no business serving as a gatekeeper for the Internet, and such a role could eventually threaten what has become an important public square for circulating ideas and information.

These rules will further damage the economy and also because the federal government has no constitutional authority to regulate power plant emissions.

Agreements such as this one are intended to transfer trade (and other) powers to super-national arrangements, despite the fact that under the Constitution only Congress has the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations."

The way to create jobs is not to provide them via government financing of certain sectors of the economy, but to reduce the government's burden on the economy.

Amendment to reinstitute trade promotion authority through 2013 for the purpose of expediting approval of trade bills.

Piling on more and more debt is devastating to the economy.

The debt deal allows both the national debt and spending to continue their upward trajectories.

There is no authority in the U.S. Constitution for redistributing American wealth to other countries.

The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to subsidize alternative energy sources.

Amendment that would have banned the use of Patriot Act searches for American citizens' firearms records.

The extended provisions, and the Patriot Act as a whole, violate the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

There is no constitutional authority for the federal government to require individuals to purchase health insurance or to manage the healthcare industry.

Prohibits the use of any funding for Planned Parenthood.

Restricting greenhouse-gas emissions would be harmful to the economy, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are not pollutants, and the federal government has no constitutional authority to limit such emissions.

The burdensome 1099 reporting requirement was added to the ObamaCare legislation as a way to help pay for this unconstitutional program.

The U.S. Constitution assigns to Congress the power "to declare war."

The federal government has no constitutional authority to subsidize private airlines, and the free market should be allowed to determine which communities commercial airlines service, as well as the cost and extent of that service.

, popularly known as ObamaCare, is unconstitutional. There is no constitutional authority for the federal government to require individuals to purchase health insurance or to manage the healthcare industry.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Comprised of six appropriations bills that Congress failed to complete separately. The price tag in the final version of HR3288 is $1.1 trillion.

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.

Authorizes the Treasury Department to use $700 billion of taxpayer money to purchase troubled mortgage-related securities from banks and other financial-related institutions.

Education aid is not authorized by the Constitution.

The federal government acting as an insurer, a micromanager of markets, and a wealth redistributor is unconstitutional and will undoubtedly affect market behavior, leading to more and worse market strife.

The federal government should stop over-regulating and interfering with the energy industry and get out of the unconstitutional welfare business.

Foreign aid is unconstitutional.

Warrantless searches are a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures, and requires that any searches be conducted only upon issuance of a warrant under conditions of probable cause. Moreover, Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution forbids "ex post facto laws" — laws having a retroactive effect.

Congress continues to fund a war it never authorized under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution. Also, the federal government is unconstitutionally involved as an individual and corporate insurer at taxpayer expense.

Would authorize the nation's farm programs for the next five years, including crop subsidies and nutrition programs.

Increasing taxes on the profits of U.S. oil producers would drive gasoline, heating oil, and natural gas prices higher, as the increased tax expense would simply be passed on to consumers. Targeting the largest U.S. oil companies for making higher profits creates a disincentive to increasing exploration and production, and undermines the exceedingly large capital base required to rebuild after hurricanes devastate the oil patch. Moreover, it is unfair because other companies and sectors with even higher profit margins are ignored. Finally, the government should not be subsidizing energy development.

Would have created a cap-and-trade system for reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Inflation and the national debt are skyrocketing as Congress persistently disregards constitutional limits on spending.

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

America is dangerously dependent on foreign oil and we should increase domestic oil production to mitigate an expected decline in foreign oil exports to America. Time is fleeting for preparing for a supply crisis.

It is unconstitutional for the federal government to be an insurer, and wealth redistributor.

Congress must discontinue unconstitutional and deficit spending. Otherwise the dollar could collapse.

Warrantless wiretaps are a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures, and requires that any searches be conducted only upon issuance of a warrant under conditions of probable cause. Moreover, Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution forbids "ex post facto laws" — laws having a retroactive effect.

Creating money out of thin air (which was what was done for the rebate checks) cannot improve the economy.

Transfers the power to regulate trade (and other powers as well) to regional arrangements.

Federalized educational system is an unconstitutional and wasteful bureaucracy.

By confirming Mukasey, the U.S. Senate demonstrated its willingness to tolerate torture — which is anathema to American values — and its willingness to allow the president to trump laws passed by Congress in the name of national security.

The Constitution does not authorize federal involvement in healthcare, even for children.

Spending billions of tax dollars for federal grants and subsidies for Amtrak transportation is unconstitutional.

The DREAM Act would implement an amnesty program by placing millions of illegal immigrants on a path toward citizenship.

Social-welfare programs and federal involvement in education are unconstitutional.

Would increase the national debt limit to an astronomical $9.8 trillion, an $850 billion increase.

Allowing Mexican trucks to travel freely across U.S. highways presents a threat to our national security and displaces American truckers whose jobs would be lost to Mexican workers.

The United States should not be funding UN "peacekeeping" period — let alone increasing the amount.

Foreign aid is unconstitutional.

Warrantless surveillance of American citizens is a violation of the Fourth Amendment's prohibition "against unreasonable searches and seizures."

Taxpayer-financed federal health insurance is unconstitutional.

Cloture would have ended floor debate on the Kennedy bill and enabled a vote by the full Senate on this dangerous piece of legislation.

Would drastically alter the scope of the immigration bill by striking an amnesty provision from the bill that would establish the Z visa.

The guest-worker program would constitute a large increase in legal immigration for our country, which would ultimately displace more American workers from their jobs and depress wages.

This legislation contains an enormous amount of unconstitutional spending, would raise the federal minimum wage, and would authorize money for the Iraq War.

The bill violates the right to life for millions of unborn babies.

Repealing the estate tax would be a constitutional tax cut that would benefit all Americans who would be subject to estate taxes again in 2011 and all subsequent years according to current tax law.

Providing federal aid to local law enforcement programs is not only unconstitutional, but it also further federalizes the police system.

Congress must not continue to support massive amounts of irresponsible and unconstitutional spending.

It is unconstitutional to prohibit citizens from working for less than a government-set wage.

This legislation preserves the right of free speech for grass-roots organizations to inform the public about events on Capitol Hill without subjecting them to repressive regulatory controls.

A border fence would help prevent illegal immigration and further protect our borders.

Under this bill, a defendant's rights would be curtailed: he would be denied the right of habeas corpus; he could be detained indefinitely; and evidence obtained through coercion could be used against him—so long as the coercion falls outside the administration's definition of torture.

So-called free trade agreements damage the U.S. economy and threaten U.S. sovereignty by imposing international regulations.

The United States should reduce its dependency on foreign oil and utilize it own energy resources.

Congress can and should use its power to regulate interstate commerce to restrict abortion.

Research on embryonic stem cell lines derived from surplus embryos at in vitro fertilization clinics would violate the right to life for millions of unborn children.

Federal funding of local law enforcement will lead to more federal control of law enforcement.

Would prohibit any Homeland Security funds from being used to seize lawfully owned firearms during a state of emergency.

Would require a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by July 2007.

It is unconstitutional for the government to prohibit citizens from working for less than a government-set price.

Gen. Michael V. Hayden has been in the forefront of governmental programs threatening the privacy of American citizens and should not be trusted to lead an organization such as the CIA.

Would effectively grant amnesty to the 12 million illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States and create a guest-worker program for up to 200,000 immigrants a year.

This amendment would make border security a higher priority than amnesty, but would make it more difficult for the administration to implement amnesty.

Even if the spending were constitutional, this funding should be attached to the regular appropriations process and not introduced after the fact as "emergency" spending, ignoring fiscal responsibility.

Would increase the national debt limit to $8.97 trillion.

Federal social-welfare programs are unconstitutional.

Would reauthorize the unconstitutional and so-called Patriot Act.

Our troops should be sent to war only when necessary to defend the United States and her citizens, and when Congress declares war.

Foreign aid programs are not authorized by the Constitution.

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

ANWR Oil and Gas Leasing. During consideration of the budget reconciliation bill (S. 1932), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) offered an amendment that would delete from the underlying bill language allowing for "the establishment of an oil and gas leasing program in the Coastal Plain" of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. Cantwell's intent was to keep in place the present ban against drilling for oil and natural gas in the energy-rich ANWR.

The Senate rejected the Cantwell amendment on November 3, 2005 by a vote of 48-51 (Roll Call 288). We have assigned pluses for the nays because the United States should reduce its dependence on foreign oil and develop its own energy resources.

Labor-HHS-Education. The Senate version of this mammoth social-welfare appropriations bill (H.R. 3010) would provide a total of $604.4 billion in fiscal 2006 for the Labor Department ($15 billion), the Education Department ($63.7 billion), the Health and Human Services Department ($476.2 billion), and related agencies.

The Senate passed this massive social-welfare bill on October 27, 2005 by a vote of 94-3 (Roll Call 281). We have assigned pluses to the nays because social-welfare programs are unconstitutional.

Minimum Wage Increase. During consideration of the Transportation-Treasury-Housing appropriations bill (H.R. 3058), Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered an amendment to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $5.70 an hour six months after the bill's enactment, and then to $6.25 an hour one year after the bill's enactment. While raising the minimum wage may sound appealing to some unskilled workers, it would actually make many of them too expensive to hire, and it would also make starting up new companies more expensive.

The Senate rejected Kennedy's amendment on October 19, 2005 by a vote of 47-51 (Roll Call 257). We have assigned pluses to the nays because it is unconstitutional for the government to prohibit American citizens from working for less than a federally mandated minimum wage.

Agriculture Appropriations. This bill (H.R. 2744) would provide $100.7 billion in fiscal 2006 for the Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies. The funding includes $40.7 billion for the food stamp program, $12.4 billion for school meal programs, and $25.7 billion for the Commodity Credit Corporation, which aids farmers.

The Senate passed the Agriculture appropriations bill on September 22, 2005 by a vote of 97-2 (Roll Call 241). We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal aid to farmers and federal food aid to individuals are not authorized in the Constitution.

Funding Law Enforcement. During consideration of the Fiscal 2006 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill (H.R. 2862), Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) offered this amendment to increase funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services program by $1 billion, to increase funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by $10 million, to increase funding for the Office of Violence Against Women by $9 million, and to designate these increases as emergency spending.

A point of order was made against the emergency designation based on the Budget Act, and the Senate effectively killed the Biden amendment when it rejected a motion to waive the Budget Act. The vote was 41-56 on September 13, 2005 (Roll Call 226). We have assigned pluses to the nays because providing federal aid to law enforcement programs is not only unconstitutional, but it also further federalizes the police system.

Katrina Hurricane-relief Appropriations. In the wake of the devastating hurricane disaster in the Gulf Coast, Congress quickly passed legislation that would appropriate $51.8 billion in emergency supplemental funding for fiscal 2005 (H.R. 3673) to be used for relief in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Commenting on how the tragic images of Katrina were used to justify more federal welfare and interventionism, as opposed to private charity and initiatives, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) noted on September 15, after the House and Senate votes: "These scenes prompted two emotional reactions. One side claims Katrina proved there was not enough government welfare.... The other side claims we need to pump billions of new dollars into the very federal agency that failed (FEMA).... Both sides support more authoritarianism, more centralization, and even the imposition of martial law in times of natural disasters."

The Senate passed this supplemental appropriations bill on September 8, 2005 by a vote of 97-0 (Roll Call 223). We have assigned minuses to the yeas because federally financing disaster relief is unconstitutional.

Interior-Environment Appropriations. The final version (conference report) of this appropriations bill (H.R. 2361) would provide $26.2 billion in fiscal 2006 for the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and related agencies, including $7.7 billion for the EPA. All but roughly $50 million provided in H.R. 2361 is deemed "discretionary" funds.

The Senate passed this appropriations bill on July 29, 2005 by a vote of 99-1 (Roll Call 210). We have assigned a plus to the lone nay because the bill's provisions include both unnecessary and unconstitutional spending.

Surface Transportation. The final version (conference report) of this bill (H.R. 3) would authorize $286.5 billion for federal highway, mass transit, and safety and research programs through fiscal 2009. The bill is laden with thousands of "pork barrel" transportation projects requested by individual lawmakers.

The Senate adopted the conference report on July 29, 2005 by a vote of 91-4 (Roll Call 220). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the bill increases transportation spending and is fiscally irresponsible.

Foreign Aid. The Senate version of the foreign aid appropriations bill (H.R. 3057) would provide $31.8 billion in fiscal 2006 for U.S. foreign aid programs.

The Senate passed this appropriations bill on July 20, 2005 by a vote of 98-1 (Roll Call 197). We have assigned a plus to the lone nay because foreign aid is unconstitutional.

Nuclear Power Plants in China. During consideration of the foreign aid appropriations bill, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) introduced this amendment to prohibit the Export-Import Bank, a U.S. government agency, from providing federal loans or loan guarantees for the construction of nuclear power plants in China. The amendment would block federal assistance to the British-owned nuclear division of Westinghouse to build such plants.

The Senate rejected Coburn's amendment on July 19, 2005 by a vote of 37-62 (Roll Call 192). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because foreign aid programs are unconstitutional.

CAFTA. This bill (S. 1307) would implement the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), thereby expanding both the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the job losses wrought by NAFTA. CAFTA is intended by the Power Elite to be a steppingstone from NAFTA to the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which would include all of the countries of the Western Hemisphere except (for now) Cuba. Like NAFTA, which has already begun imposing its trade rulings on America, CAFTA and the FTAA would not be genuine free trade arrangements; they would instead manage trade and would gradually exercise more powers on the road to a supranational government modeled after the EU.

The Senate passed the CAFTA bill on June 30, 2005 by a vote of 54-45 (Roll Call 170). We have assigned pluses to the nays because CAFTA would further damage the U.S. economy and threaten U.S. sovereignty.

Supplemental Appropriations. The final version (conference report) of this supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 1268) would add another $82 billion to the federal budget for fiscal 2005. The supplemental spending, even if needed and constitutional, should not have been added on to the annual federal budget after the fact, but should have been included as part of the regular appropriations process. The supplemental spending in this bill includes $75.9 billion for defense-related purposes, most of it for the military occupation of Iraq, and $907 million for tsunami victims, the latter clearly unconstitutional.

One particularly objectionable element of this legislation is the REAL ID Act, which was added to the supplemental appropriations bill by the conference committee. The REAL ID Act would authorize the federal government to impose national standards for driver's licenses and thereby develop a national ID system.

The Senate adopted the conference report on May 10, 2005 by a vote of 100-0 (Roll Call 117). We assigned minuses to the yeas because the bill contains both unconstitutional spending and the REAL ID Act.

AgJOBS (Amnesty). Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) tried to get the so-called AgJOBS bill through the Senate by attaching it as an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 1268). The AgJOBS measure would grant agricultural workers who are in this country illegally temporary residence status, thereby granting them amnesty and putting them on a path toward U.S. citizenship. If adopted, AgJOBS would be an open invitation for other non-citizens to cross our borders illegally with the expectation that they too would receive amnesty.

AgJOBS supporters attempted to push their measure forward by invoking "cloture," thereby limiting the debate that has stalled the measure, bringing it up for a vote. A three-fifths majority vote of the entire Senate (60 votes) is needed to invoke cloture. The Senate rejected the motion to invoke cloture on April 19, 2005 by a vote of 53-45 (Roll Call 98). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the AgJOBS measure would provide amnesty to many illegal aliens.

Budgeting for Overseas Military Operations. During consideration of the supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 1268), Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) proposed a nonbinding amendment stating that "any request for funds ... for an ongoing military operation overseas, including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, should be included in the annual budget of the President." Arguing for his amendment on the Senate floor, Byrd expressed frustration that funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been provided by "stopgap spending" and "emergency supplemental spending bills," when this funding should instead be accounted for in the annual budget.

The Senate adopted this amendment on April 18, 2005 by a vote of 61-31 (Roll Call 96). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the amendment would encourage fiscal responsibility.

To repeal the rule prohibiting U.S. foreign aid from going to organizations that provide or promote abortions.

Funding Local Law Enforcement. During consideration of the budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 18), Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) offered an amendment to increase funding for the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program by $1 billion. (As described in the amendment's "Purpose," this additional funding will be "fully off-set by closing corporate loopholes and will generate $2 billion in revenue" — that is, additional taxes.)

The Senate rejected Biden's amendment on March 17, 2005 by a vote of 45-55 (Roll Call 70). We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal aid to local police forces is unconstitutional and invites federal control.

Funding Special Education. During consideration of the budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 18), Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) offered an amendment to provide a fund of $71.3 billion for special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The Senate rejected this amendment on March 17, 2005 by a vote of 37-63 (Roll Call 79). We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal funding of education is unconstitutional.

Alaskan Drilling. During consideration of the budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 18), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) offered an amendment to delete language in the resolution that would allow leases for oil and gas exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Like a similar House amendment (see House bill below), the intent behind this amendment is to continue the ban against drilling for oil and gas in the ANWR.

[ Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) offered an amendment to delete language in the energy policy bill (H.R. 6) that would allow leases for oil and gas exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. Drilling in ANWR is now banned, and Markey wants to keep it that way despite the fact that ANWR likely contains billions of barrels of oil and could be on a par with Prudhoe Bay, North America's largest oil field. ]

The Senate rejected Cantwell's amendment on March 16, 2005 by a vote of 49-51 (Roll Call 52). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the United States should develop its own energy resources and reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

Vocational/Technical Training. This legislation, like the House version (see House bill below), would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act. The Senate version (S. 250) would authorize $1.3 billion for vocational and job training programs.

[ H.R. 366 would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, which funds vocational and technical education programs. The bill would authorize $1.3 billion in fiscal 2006 and "such funds as necessary" in fiscal 2007-11. It would also merge Perkins funding with "Tech-Prep," a program that provides certain math and science courses to high school students to "ease the transition" from high school to a vocational or community college. ]

The Senate passed S. 250 on March 10, 2005 by a vote of 99-0 (Roll Call 43). We have assigned minuses to the yeas because federal aid to education and job-training programs is unconstitutional.

Minimum Wage. During consideration of the bankruptcy overhaul bill (S. 256), Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered an amendment to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour. The minimum wage was last raised in 1996 by 90 cents, a far less ambitious amount than Kennedy's $2.10 proposed increase. While this proposal may look tempting to many unskilled workers, it would actually make many of them too expensive to hire.

The Senate rejected Kennedy's amendment on March 7, 2005 by a vote of 46-49 (Roll Call 26). We have assigned pluses to the nays because it is unconstitutional for the government to prohibit citizens from working for less than a government-set minimum wage.

Extending Tax Cuts. The final version (conference report) of this tax-cut legislation (H.R. 1308) would benefit most Americans by extending the life of several middle-class tax breaks set to expire at the end of this year. It would extend provisions providing relief from the "marriage penalty" through 2008, extend the $1,000 per child income tax credit through 2009, and keep a greater number of taxpayers in the 10 percent income tax bracket through 2010. It would also revive some expired business tax incentives.

The Senate adopted the conference report on H.R. 1308 on September 23, 2004 by a vote of 92 to 3 (Roll Call 188). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because the bill would extend the life of tax cuts, benefiting a large number of Americans.

Federal Funding of First Responders. During consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 4567), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) proposed an amendment to increase funding by $15.8 billion for police, fire fighters, and other local and state emergency personnel. It would also require the Secretary of the Treasury to "take such action as is necessary" to offset this additional expense by reducing tax savings under the 2001 tax law for individuals making $1 million or more.

A point of order was raised against Dodd's amendment based on Budget Act requirements, and that, in turn, led to a motion to waive the point of order. The Senate rejected the motion — thereby killing the amendment — on September 9, 2004 by a vote of 41 to 53 (Roll Call 170). We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal funding of local law enforcement will lead to more federal control, and the federal government should not be funding local law enforcement in the first place.

FDA Regulation of Tobacco. During consideration of a corporate tax bill (H.R. 4520), Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) offered an amendment to authorize the FDA to regulate tobacco for the first time and to couple this new regulation with a $12 billion, 10-year buyout to pay tobacco farmers for relinquishing government quotas governing how much tobacco they can grow. The FDA would be authorized to ban many ingredients in cigarettes, but Congress would retain veto power over any regulatory attempt to ban nicotine in cigarettes or to ban cigarettes completely.

The Senate adopted DeWine's amendment on July 15, 2004 by a vote of 78 to 15 (Roll Call 157). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the FDA should not be regulating tobacco like a pharmaceutical drug.

Budgeting for Overseas Military Operations. During consideration of the Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 4613), Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) proposed a nonbinding amendment urging that the president include in his annual budget "any request for funds ... for an ongoing military operation overseas, including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq," and that such funding should be appropriated in regular accounts. In remarks on the Senate floor, Byrd expressed frustration that the administration has failed to estimate war costs and has made "stop-gap" and "emergency supplemental" spending requests that have caused mistakes in materiel requisitions — the failure to request sufficient funds for body armor, for instance. Byrd described his amendment as "a simple, common-sense approach that promotes fiscal responsibility."

The Senate adopted Byrd's amendment on June 24, 2004 by a vote of 89 to 9 (Roll Call 147). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because his amendment would encourage fiscal responsibility.

Foreign Aid. During consideration of the Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 4613), Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) proposed an amendment to add $118 million in emergency funding "to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and in Chad." The $118 million would be on top of $95 million already provided by the bill for that purpose.

The Senate agreed to a motion to table (kill) Biden's amendment on June 24, 2004 by a vote of 53 to 45 (Roll Call 148). We have assigned pluses to the yeas — that is, those who voted to kill the amendment — because foreign aid is unconstitutional.

Missile Defense. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) offered an amendment to shift $515.5 million in the Defense authorization bill (S. 2400) from ground-based missile interceptors to nuclear nonproliferation programs and homeland security.

The Senate rejected Levin's amendment on June 22, 2004 by a vote of 44 to 56 (Roll Call 133). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the U.S. needs a means of protecting the homeland against incoming ballistic missiles.

Missile Defense. During consideration of the Defense authorization bill (S. 2400), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) offered an amendment that would prohibit deployment of a ground-based system of missile interceptors until "the Secretary of Defense certifies ... that the capabilities of the system ... have been confirmed by operationally realistic testing of the system." The problem with Boxer's amendment is that the system cannot be operationally tested without initial deployment, scheduled for later in the year in Alaska. "If you prohibit this 'deployment,' you prohibit operationally realistic testing — and prevent the very basis for the certification that the amendment requires," noted Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-Va.).

The Senate rejected Boxer's amendment on June 17, 2004 by a vote of 42 to 57 (Roll Call 124). We have assigned pluses to the nays because national defense is a constitutional function of the federal government.

Tax Rate Increase. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) proposed a measure, in the form of an amendment to the Defense authorization bill (S. 2400), to increase the top income tax rate from 35 percent to 36 percent, starting in 2005 and lasting until 2010. The additional revenue would be earmarked for security and stabilization operations in Iraq.

The Senate rejected Biden's amendment on June 17, 2004 by a vote of 44 to 53 (Roll Call 130). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the amendment would increase taxes.

Nuclear Weapons Study. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) sponsored this amendment to prohibit the use of $36.6 million authorized by the Defense authorization bill (S. 2400) for two feasibility studies into options for modernizing our nuclear stockpile — one pertaining to "bunker buster" weapons that would explode deep underground, and the other an Advanced Concepts Initiative including research into a "low yield" nuclear weapon. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), who opposed Kennedy's amendment, noted that our existing nuclear stockpile "was developed for a massive nuclear exchange with one nation. Today, these weapons are too powerful and may result in greater damage than necessary to neutralize a target."

The Senate rejected Kennedy's amendment on June 15, 2004 by a vote of 42 to 55 (Roll Call 113). We have assigned pluses to the nays because national defense is a constitutional function of the federal government.

Hate Crimes. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) proposed a measure, in the form of an amendment to the Defense authorization bill (S. 2400), to expand the definition of "hate crimes" to include assaults based on sexual orientation, gender, or disability. Current federal hate crimes law imposes stricter sentences when assaults are based on race, ethnicity, or religion.

The Senate adopted Smith's amendment on June 15, 2004 by a vote of 65 to 33 (Roll Call 114). We have assigned pluses to the nays because Smith's amendment would further federalize the criminal code, and because "hate crimes" measures are intended to punish not just criminal acts but the thoughts behind them.

IDEA Reauthorization. This bill (H.R. 1350) would reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It would provide for full federal funding by 2011 of 40 percent of the average per pupil costs for certain programs under IDEA by authorizing discretionary spending increases of $2.3 billion per year. For fiscal 2005, H.R. 1350 would authorize a total of $12.4 billion for IDEA grants.

The Senate passed H.R. 1350 on May 13, 2004 by a vote of 95 to 3 (Roll Call 94). We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal aid to education is unconstitutional.

Unemployment Insurance. This amendment by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to S. 1637 (Corporate Tax Overhaul) would authorize a six-month federal program to provide an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits for people who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state jobless benefits.

Senator Don Nickles (R-Okla.) raised a point of order against the Cantwell amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. Senator Cantwell moved to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Cantwell amendment, but the Senate rejected her motion on May 11, 2004 by a vote of 59 to 40 (Roll Call 88), thereby effectively killing the Cantwell amendment.

We have assigned pluses to the nays because payment of unemployment benefits is an unconstitutional activity of the federal government. A three-fifths majority (60) of the total Senate is required to waive the Budget Act.

Internet Tax Moratorium. This bill (S. 150), as amended, would extend the Internet tax moratorium for four years. The Senate passed S. 150 on April 29, 2004 by a vote of 93 to 3 (Roll Call 77).

We have assigned pluses to the yeas because this bill would prevent some forms of taxation on Internet users for an additional four years.

Child-care Funding. This amendment to H.R. 4 (Welfare Reauthorization) would increase "mandatory" child-care funding by $6 billion over the next five years (fiscal 2005 to 2009). The federal government currently provides $4.8 billion annually for child care through a combination of "mandatory" and "discretionary" programs.

The Senate adopted this amendment to H.R. 4 on March 30, 2004 by a vote of 78 to 20 (Roll Call 64). We have assigned pluses to the nays because child care funding is an unconstitutional activity of the federal government.

Would establish broad spending and revenue targets over the next five years, for a total budget of $2.4 trillion.

Would provide for a 10-year reauthorization of the so-called assault weapons ban.

Gun Show Checks. This amendment to S. 1805 (Firearms Manufacturers Protection) would require criminal background checks on all firearms purchases at gun shows where at least 75 guns are sold.

The Senate adopted this amendment to S. 1805 on March 2, 2004 by a vote of 53 to 46 (Roll Call 25). We have assigned pluses to the nays because these restrictions on firearm transactions at gun shows would be an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment. Subsequently, the Senate rejected S. 1805 by a vote of 8 to 90.

Surface Transportation. This bill (S. 1072) would authorize $318 billion in federal aid over six years (fiscal 2004-2009) for highways ($255 billion), mass transit ($56.5 billion), and highway safety programs ($6 billion). This bill also promises that states would receive at least a 95 percent return on their highway trust fund "contributions" by 2009.

The Bush administration had wanted to limit the spending in the bill to $256 billion, which, noted White House spokesman Scott McClellan, would still increase
spending by 21 percent. But the Senate added an additional $62 billion to the bill (24 percent more than the president had requested).

The Senate passed S. 1072 on February 12, 2004 by a vote of 76 to 21 (Roll Call 14). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this double-digit increase in spending on surface transportation is fiscally irresponsible, particularly during a time of record-breaking federal deficits.

Fiscal 2004 Omnibus Appropriations. Adoption of this conference report on H.R. 2673 (Fiscal 2004 Omnibus Appropriations) would provide a total of $820 billion in fiscal 2004, including $328.1 billion in "discretionary" spending, for a whole laundry list of federal departments and agencies. On January 22, Congressional Quarterly described this bill as "among the biggest appropriations packages ever written by Congress." Total fiscal year 2004 spending (both "mandatory" and "discretionary") in this bill includes $80.6 billion (up 8.0 percent) for the Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and related agencies; $38.4 billion (up 1.3 percent) for the Commerce, Justice and State departments and judicial agencies; $545 million (up 7.1 percent) for the District of Columbia; $17.3 billion (down 27 percent) for foreign aid and export assistance; $471.8 billion (up 11.5 percent) for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments; $89.8 billion (up 3.7 percent) for the Transportation and Treasury Departments and related independent agencies; and $124.0 billion (up 4.4 percent) for the Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Departments.

The Senate adopted the conference report on H.R. 2673 on January 22, 2004 by a vote of 65 to 28 (Roll Call 3). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill not only perpetuates huge amounts of unconstitutional federal spending, it also contains many spending increases for various federal agencies despite the fact that annual federal deficits have mushroomed to record levels.

Would create a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients.

Country of Origin Labeling. The House version of H.R. 2673 (Fiscal 2004 Omnibus Appropriations) included a provision stating: "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act shall be used for the implementation of Country of Origin Labeling for meat or meat products." The intent of this provision, of course, is to end country of origin labeling requirements for meat by denying the funding for enforcement. During Senate consideration of this legislation, Senator Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) offered an amendment expressing the "sense of the Senate" that the Senate conferees insist that no such restriction on the use of funding appear in the final version of the bill.

The Senate rejected a motion to table (kill) this amendment to H.R. 2673 on November 6, 2003 by a vote of 36 to 58 (Roll Call 443). We have assigned pluses to the "nays" — that is, those who opposed killing the amendment — because country of origin labeling is a useful tool for (to quote the Constitution) "regulating commerce with foreign nations." The Daschle amendment was adopted by voice vote later the same day.

Agriculture Appropriations. The Senate version of H.R. 2673 would appropriate $79.7 billion for agriculture, rural development, and nutrition programs in fiscal 2004. Over half of the money appropriated by this "agriculture" bill is earmarked for so-called mandatory spending on nutrition programs, including $30 billion for food stamps and $16 billion for school lunch and other nutrition programs. (See House version below.)

[ House Version: H.R. 2673 would appropriate $77.5 billion for agriculture, rural development and nutrition programs in fiscal 2004. Over half of the money appropriated by this "agriculture" bill is earmarked for so-called mandatory spending on nutrition programs, including $28 billion for food stamps and $16 billion for school lunch and other nutrition programs. Total spending for traditional agricultural programs is $26.8 billion, a 5 percent increase. ]

The Senate passed H.R. 2673 on November 6, 2003 by a vote of 93 to 1 (Roll Call 444). We have assigned a plus to the nays because federal aid to farmers and federal food aid to individuals are unconstitutional activities of the federal government.

Would require each federal agency or department engaged in data mining to submit a public report to Congress.

Global Warming. This substitute amendment to S. 139 (Climate Stewardship Act of 2003) by Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) would mandate that so-called greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 2000 levels by 2010. Greenhouse gases would be defined as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. Other provisions of the substitute amendment include a program of scientific research on climate change, a national greenhouse database, and a market driven system of greenhouse gas tradable allowances.

The Senate rejected this substitute amendment to S. 139 on October 30, 2003 by a vote of 43 to 55 (Roll Call 420). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this amendment would have established restrictions on so-called greenhouse gas emissions based on the myth of catastrophic global warming.

Partial-birth Abortion Ban. The final version (conference report) of S. 3 would ban partial-birth abortions. Although on March 12 the Senate had amended their version of S. 3 to include a reaffirmation of Roe v. Wade, on September 30 a 10-member House-Senate conference committee agreed to report out a final version of the bill identical to one (H.R. 760) that passed the House earlier this year without any reaffirmation of Roe v. Wade. Of course, all abortion procedures should be banned. But this bill is still a step in the right direction in that it is better to ban one abortion procedure than to ban none at all.

The Senate adopted the conference report on S. 3 on October 21, 2003 by a vote of 64 to 34 (Roll Call 402). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because all forms of abortion constitute the murder of preborn children, and the Supreme Court, in its Roe v. Wade decision, overstepped its proper authority by "legalizing" abortion in the first place.

Supplemental Spending for Iraq & Afghanistan. The Senate version of this bill (S. 1689) would appropriate $86.5 billion in fiscal 2004 supplemental spending for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unlike the House version (H.R. 3289), S. 1689 also included an amendment requiring that $10 billion of the approximately $20 billion in Iraqi reconstruction aid be initially offered as a loan — and be converted into a grant only if 90 percent of Iraq's bilateral debts, estimated at $130 billion, are forgiven by its creditors. (This amendment was deleted from the final version of this legislation, known as the conference report. The conference report was approved by voice vote in the Senate and roll call vote in the House.)

The Senate passed S. 1689 on October 17, 2003 by a vote of 87 to 12 (Roll Call 400). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the U.S. military was sent into Iraq to enforce UN resolutions, when the only proper use of our nation's armed forces is to protect the lives and property of American citizens, and the huge U.S.-funded infrastructure rebuilding program in Iraq and Afghanistan is another example of unconstitutional foreign aid.

Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations. The Senate version of this bill (H.R. 2660) would appropriate $472 billion for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments for fiscal 2004, a 10 percent increase over fiscal 2003. This bill, the biggest of the fiscal 2004 domestic spending bills, includes $138 billion for discretionary spending. (Since the Senate version of H.R. 2660 is virtually identical to the House version, see House version below for additional details.)

[ House Version H.R. 2660 would appropriate $470 billion for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments for fiscal 2004, a 10 percent increase over fiscal 2003. This bill, the biggest of the fiscal 2004 domestic spending bills, includes $138 billion for discretionary spending, including $55.4 billion for education and $22.7 billion for the National Institutes of Health. That leaves $332 billion for so-called mandatory spending on entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment insurance. ]

The Senate passed H.R. 2660 on September 10, 2003 by a vote of 94 to 0 (Roll Call 347). We have assigned minuses to the yeas because this bill represents a significant increase in spending, and these departments are not authorized by the Constitution.

U.S.-Singapore Trade. This bill (H.R. 2739) would implement a trade agreement to reduce tariffs and trade barriers between the United States and Singapore. A similar bill, the U.S.-Chile Trade Agreement (H.R. 2738), was presented to Congress at the same time as the U.S.-Singapore Trade Agreement. These are the first in a series of bilateral and regional free trade agreements (FTAs) that the Bush administration is negotiating, which will culminate in 2005 in the largest and most significant FTA of them all, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

The model for the FTAA is the European Union (EU), formerly the "Common Market," which has grown by design from a supposed free trade agreement into a supranational government for Europe. The world order architects intend for the FTAA to follow the same trajectory for the Americas.

The Senate passed H.R. 2739 on July 31, 2003 by a vote of 66 to 32 (Roll Call 318). We have assigned pluses to the nays because these bilateral "free trade" agreements are intended to be stepping-stones to the FTAA, which would set trade (and eventually other) policies for the member nations. However, under the U.S. Constitution only Congress has the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states...."

U.S.-Chile Trade. This bill (H.R. 2738) would implement a trade agreement to reduce tariffs and trade barriers between the United States and Chile. (The significance of this trade agreement, like that of the U.S.-Singapore Trade Agreement, is described below.)

[ U.S.-Singapore Trade. This bill (H.R. 2739) would implement a trade agreement to reduce tariffs and trade barriers between the United States and Singapore. A similar bill, the U.S.-Chile Trade Agreement (H.R. 2738), was presented to Congress at the same time as the U.S.-Singapore Trade Agreement. These are the first in a series of bilateral and regional free trade agreements (FTAs) that the Bush administration is negotiating, which will culminate in 2005 in the largest and most significant FTA of them all, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

The model for the FTAA is the European Union (EU), formerly the "Common Market," which has grown by design from a supposed free trade agreement into a supranational government for Europe. The world order architects intend for the FTAA to follow the same trajectory for the Americas. ]

The Senate passed H.R. 2738 on July 31, 2003 by a vote of 65 to 32 (Roll Call 319). We have assigned pluses to the nays because these bilateral "free trade" agreements are intended to be stepping-stones to the FTAA, which would set trade (and eventually other) policies for the member nations. However, under the U.S. Constitution only Congress has the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states...."

Fuel Economy Standards. This amendment to S. 14 (Energy Policy Act of 2003) by Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) would mandate an increase in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The CAFE standard for passenger vehicles made before 2006 would be 25 miles per gallon. From model years 2006 to 2015 the CAFE standard would gradually increase to 40 miles per gallon. This new standard would initially be less than the current 27.5 miles per gallon, but only because "passenger automobile" would be redefined to include the previously exempted SUVs and passenger vans.

Since neither legislators nor manufacturers have a magic wand to reduce the amount of gas required to move a certain mass a certain distance, this radical legislation — akin to ordering the sun never to set — would effectively force manufacturers to reduce vehicle size, thereby limiting consumer choices and making vehicles less safe.

The Senate rejected this amendment to S. 14 on July 29, 2003 by a vote of 32 to 65 (Roll Call 309). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this amendment would have authorized unconstitutional regulation of consumer choice of vehicle size.

Tax Reductions. The final version of the $350 billion tax-cut package (the conference report on H.R. 2) would provide tax breaks over 11 years. Dividends, currently taxed the same as other earned income, would instead be taxed at 15 percent for most taxpayers through 2008. Lower-income dividend recipients would be taxed at 5 percent through 2007 and nothing in 2008. The current 20 percent top rate on capital gains on investments held at least one year would drop to 15 percent, with lower-income investors paying 5 percent through 2007 and nothing in 2008. Both dividend and capital gains tax reductions would expire after 2008. Among other tax reductions, income tax cuts enacted in 2001 for individuals and scheduled to be effective in 2006 would be accelerated; parents would receive refunds of up to $400 per child this summer.

The Senate adopted the conference report on H.R. 2 on May 23, 2003 with Vice President Cheney casting a yea vote to break a 50 to 50 tie (Roll Call 196). We have assigned pluses to the yeas because this bill will cut taxes for large numbers of Americans, both individuals and businesses.

Debt Limit Increase. This resolution (House Joint Resolution 51) would raise the public debt ceiling by $984 billion. Last year the public debt ceiling was increased by $450 billion. These huge increases in the public debt ceiling are necessitated by the fact that federal spending is increasing — and so are the annual deficits. The solution is not to allow the federal government to borrow more money but to cut spending.

The Senate passed H. J. Res. 51 on May 23, 2003 by a vote of 53 to 44 (Roll Call 202). We have assigned pluses to the nays because raising the public debt limit by $984 billion facilitates continued, gross fiscal irresponsibility.

Budget Resolution — Final Version. The final version (conference report) of the budget resolution (House Concurrent Resolution 95) would authorize federal spending for fiscal 2004 of $1,861 billion dollars with a deficit of $558 billion and an increase in the public debt ceiling of $984 billion. This planned deficit of $558 billion dwarfs the previous record federal deficit of $290 billion in 1992. The $984 billion increase in the public debt ceiling authorized in this bill constituted, under Rule XXVII of the House, approval of the debt limit increase bill (House Joint Resolution 51) without having to cast a separate vote just on increasing the debt ceiling. Subsequently the Senate passed H. J. Res. 51 and President Bush signed it into law, increasing the public debt ceiling by $984 billion (for a new total of $7.4 trillion) and giving Congress a green light to continue its fiscally irresponsible ways. This resolution also includes $400 billion for a Medicare prescription drug benefit for 2004-2013.

The Senate adopted the conference is similar to H.R. 2185. It would extend the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 through November; however, it would provide 26 weeks of federal aid, compared to 13 weeks in H.R. 2185, to workers in all states who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits. There would be an additional seven weeks of federal aid for workers in the states with the highest unemployment.

A point of order was raised against Kennedy's amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. The Senate failed to waive the Budget Act with respect to Kennedy's amendment on May 15, 2003 by a vote of 50 to 49 (Roll Call 152). A three-fifths majority vote (60) of the total Senate is needed to waive the Budget Act. We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal aid to unemployed workers is unconstitutional.

State Aid. This proposed amendment to the Senate version of the tax reductions bill (S. 1054) would provide $40 billion in aid to states. Half of this would be for general revenue sharing with states and their local governments. The other half would be used to increase federal Medicaid assistance to states for the last two quarters of fiscal 2003 and all of fiscal 2004.

A point of order was raised against this amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. The Senate failed to waive the Budget Act with respect to the amendment on May 15, 2003 by a vote of 47 to 52 (Roll Call 158). A three-fifths majority vote (60) of the total Senate is needed to waive the Budget Act. We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal aid to the states for revenue sharing and medical assistance is unconstitutional.

Unemployment Insurance. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) proposed this amendment to the Senate version of the tax reductions bill (S. 1054). This amendment is similar to H.R. 2185 (see House Vote #8). It would extend the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 through November; however, it would provide 26 weeks of federal aid, compared to 13 weeks in H.R. 2185, to workers in all states who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits. There would be an additional seven weeks of federal aid for workers in the states with the highest unemployment. A point of order was raised against Kennedy's amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. The Senate failed to waive the Budget Act with respect to Kennedy's amendment on May 15, 2003 by a vote of 50 to 49 (Roll Call 152). A three-fifths majority vote (60) of the total Senate is needed to waive the Budget Act. We have assigned pluses to the "nays" because federal aid to unemployed workers is unconstitutional.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) Funding. This proposed amendment to the Senate version of the budget resolution (Senate Concurrent Resolution 23) resembles H.R. 1350 as considered by the House (see House bill below). However, whereas the House bill would gradually increase the federal government's share of aid for educating special education students from 18 percent to 40 percent by 2010, this amendment would immediately increase the federal government's share to 40 percent in fiscal 2004 and maintain this level over the next 10 years — increasing federal IDEA spending by $229 billion over that same period.

[ H.R. 1350 would reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. One of its provisions would authorize increasing federal grants to defray more of the state cost of educating special education students, from the current 18 percent to 40 percent by 2010. Other provisions would allow school personnel to discipline special education students the same as non-disabled students, reduce paperwork requirements for special education teachers, and limit parents’ ability to sue school districts. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that H.R. 1350 would cost $50 billion over the 2004-2009 period. ]

The Senate rejected this amendment on March 26, 2003 by a vote of 28 to 70 (Roll Call 103). We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal aid to education is unconstitutional.

COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) Funding. This proposed amendment to the Senate version of the budget resolution (Senate Concurrent Resolution 23) states: "It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this resolution assume that an increase of $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Justice's community oriented policing program will be provided without reduction and consistent with previous appropriated and authorized levels." This amendment was introduced because the president had only requested $164 million for the COPS program for fiscal 2004. Adoption of this amendment would express the sense of the Senate that funding for the COPS program should be continued at the same level as for fiscal years 2002 and 2003, $1 billion per year.

The Senate rejected this amendment on March 21, 2003 by a vote of 48 to 52 (Roll Call 78). We have assigned pluses to the nays because federal aid to local police forces invites federal control and is unconstitutional.

Declares that the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade secures an "important constitutional right" and "should not be overturned."

Would require both the United States and Russia to reduce their respective nuclear stockpiles to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by 2012.

Fiscal 2003 Omnibus Appropriations. The final version (conference report) of House Joint Resolution 2 would provide $397 billion in fiscal 2003 for all Cabinet departments and government agencies covered in 11 unfinished spending bills from the 107th Congress. The bills included are: Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-State, District of Columbia, Energy and Water Development, Foreign Operations, Interior, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, Transportation, Treasury-Postal Service, and VA-HUD. The problem with the omnibus approach is that thousands of unconstitutional activities are lumped together with legitimate legislation in one massive bill. Thus, big government is perpetuated with a minimum of accountability.

The Senate adopted the conference report on H. J. Res. 2 on February 13, 2003 by a vote of 76 to 20 (Roll Call 34). We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill perpetuates huge amounts of unconstitutional federal spending.

Authorizes the use of U.S. military force against Iraq, including to enforce any related UN Security Council resolutions.

Agriculture Disaster Aid. During consideration of the appropriations bill for the Interior Department (H.R. 5093), Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) offered an amendment to provide almost $6 billion in "disaster" aid to farmers affected by drought. This new aid would be in addition to the money provided by the 10-year farm bill enacted last May. That bill will cost $781 billion according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.

Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) raised a point of order against Daschle's amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. Daschle moved to waive the Budget Act with respect to his amendment, and his motion was agreed to on September 10, 2002 by a vote of 79 to 16 (Roll Call 212). We have assigned pluses to the nays. The Senate subsequently agreed to Daschle's amendment by voice vote.

Arming Commercial Pilots. During consideration of the bill to establish a cabinet-level Homeland Security Department (H.R. 5005), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) offered an amendment that would establish a voluntary program to deputize qualified commercial pilots, who would then be allowed to be armed.

The Senate adopted the amendment on September 5, 2002 by a vote of 87 to 6 (Roll Call 210). We have assigned pluses to the yeas.

Trade Promotion Authority. The final version (conference report) of H.R. 3009 would give President Bush Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) for congressional consideration of trade agreements reached before June 1, 2005. President Bush has made it abundantly clear that he intends to use TPA to complete negotiations on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by early 2005. The FTAA could be modeled after the EU, but is designed to evolve toward a full-blown regional government at a greatly accelerated pace.

The Senate adopted the conference report on August 1, 2002 by a vote of 64 to 34 (Roll Call 207). We have assigned pluses to the nays.

Prescription Drug Plan. After the Senate rejected Sen. Bob Graham's (D-Fla.) Democratic proposal to establish a prescription drug plan (see Senate bill below), Graham worked out a scaled-down, "compromise" version of his plan with Republican Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.)

[ During consideration of the drug patents bill (S. 812), Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) offered an amendment "to provide coverage of outpatient prescription drugs under the Medicare program." As summarized by Congressional Quarterly, the drug prescription plan "would cover the vast majority of drug costs for low-income elderly and those who spend $4,000 or more a year on prescription drugs. But all seniors would receive at least a 5 percent discount." The total cost would be an estimated $400 billion over 10 years.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) raised a point of order against Graham's amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) moved to waive the Budget Act with respect to Graham's amendment, but Kennedy's motion was rejected on July 23, 2002 by a vote of 52 to 47 (Roll Call 186). ]

Sen. William Frist (R-Tenn.) raised a point of order against the Graham/Smith compromise amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. Graham moved to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Graham/Smith amendment, but his motion was rejected on July 31, 2002 by a vote of 49 to 50 (Roll Call 199). We have assigned pluses to the nays.

Medical Assistance. Sen. John Rockefeller IV (D-W.V.) offered an amendment to another amendment to the drug patents bill to increase Medicaid and social service funding by $9 billion.

Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) raised a point of order against Rockefeller's amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) moved to waive the Budget Act with respect to Rockefeller's amendment, and Reid's motion was agreed to on July 25, 2002 by a vote of 75 to 24 (Roll Call 190). We have assigned pluses to the nays.

Prescription Drug Plan. During consideration of the drug patents bill (S. 812), Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) offered an amendment "to provide coverage of outpatient prescription drugs under the Medicare program." As summarized by Congressional Quarterly, the drug prescription plan "would cover the vast majority of drug costs for low-income elderly and those who spend $4,000 or more a year on prescription drugs. But all seniors would receive at least a 5 percent discount." The total cost would be an estimated $400 billion over 10 years.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) raised a point of order against Graham's amendment on the basis of Budget Act restrictions. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) moved to waive the Budget Act with respect to Graham's amendment, but Kennedy's motion was rejected on July 23, 2002 by a vote of 52 to 47 (Roll Call 186). A three-fifths majority vote of the total Senate is needed to waive the Budget Act. We have assigned pluses to the nays.

Nuclear Waste Storage. This measure (Senate Joint Resolution 34) would approve the federal site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for developing a national repository for disposing high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. The amount of waste produced by nuclear energy is so small compared to the amount of energy generated that nuclear power plants have been able to store decades worth of spent fuel on-site. Yet a national repository is needed for the accumulating spent fuel.

The Senate on July 9, 2002 voted 60 to 39 for a motion to consider the measure (Roll Call 167). We have assigned pluses to the yeas.

Military Abortions. During consideration of the defense authorization bill (S. 2514), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) offered an amendment to allow U.S. servicewomen and military dependents to obtain abortions at overseas U.S. military hospitals.

The Senate adopted the amendment on June 21, 2002 by a vote of 52 to 40 (Roll Call 160). We have assigned pluses to the nays.