Defense, Agriculture, Energy and Economy Votes

(June 16, 2008)

 * Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act, H.R. 6074, passed the House on May 20, 2008 by 324 to 84, with 26 not voting. This bill, if it becomes law, would amend the Sherman Act to make attempts by foreign nations to combine to drive up the price of oil illegal. Like the U.S. makes laws for the entire world. Unbelievably arrogant, but Mike Thompson voted For the bill. I suppose it means we plan to go to war with oil producing states, because that would be the only way to enforce it, since any action in U.S. courts would probably result in an embargo of oil to the U.S., which would bring this nation to its knees. Hopefully if this passes the Senate it will be vetoed or struck down by the Supreme Court. It may just be an election year ploy. It also orders the Department of Justice to investigate domestic oil producers for possible antitrust violations.

 * The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act, H.R. 6049, passed the House on May 21, 2008 by a vote of 263 to 194 with 12 not voting. Mike Thompson voted Yes with most Democratic Party representatives. The bill includes incentives for renewable energy, including ocean-based wave-driven power and solar power. It would create credits for carbon mitigation at coal-based electricity generation plants, but also extends the excise tax on coal to 2019. It provides tax credits for transportation and energy conservation. It discriminates against foreign-produced biofuels. It extends many non-environmental tax credits to businesses. It would need to pass in the Senate and by signed by the President to become law.

 * The Overriding of the Veto of the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act passed 316 to 108, with 11 members not voting. George W. Bush was right to veto this bloated transfer of money from taxpayers to corporate agribusiness interests. Mike Thompson voted to override the veto.

 * The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2009, H.R. 5658, passed 384 to 23, with 27 not voting. The bill authorized $600 billion in defense appropriations for fiscal year 2009. Pushing the nation ever more certainly toward bankruptcy and a never-ending war with any nation that does not want to be run by U.S. corporations. Mike Thompson voted Yes. See also the Bush administration's objections to some bill specifics.

 * 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, H.R. 3021, passed the House 250 to 164, with 19 not voting. Mike Thompson voted For this bill which requires the Secretary of Education to make grants to states for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including public charter schools, to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date. The bill would authorize $6.4 billion for fiscal 2009 for this purpose. There is also money for repairing or replacing schools damaged by Hurricane Katrina. This seems like a good bill if the money is spent effectively.

 * The Budget Resolution for FY 2009, in which the House agreed to the joint House-Senate Conference Report to accompany Senate Concurrent Resolution 70, barely passed the House in a 214 to 210 vote with 10 not voting on June 5, 2008. This was a largely partisan vote with only 14 Democrats voting against the resultion, and no Republicans voting for it. This is an overall budget resolution for the fiscal year 2009.

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