Political Voting Records: Ohio-OH, Kucinich: Budget, Spending and Taxes

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Voting Record for Kucinich of Ohio-OH
Voting Record on Legislation that Involves Budget, Spending and Taxes

House of Representatives

Dennis Kucinich
U.S. House: Representative
Democratic Next Election Year: 2010

Education:
MA, Speech Communications, Case Western Reserve University, 1974 BA, Speech Communications, Case Western Reserve University, 1973

Profession:
Consultant, Publicly Owned Electric Systems, 1979-present President, Marketing and Communications Firm, 1985-1995 Instructor, Communications and Political Science, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University, 1991-1994 Professor, Political Science, Case Western Reserve University, 1982-1992 Communications Entrepreneur, Software and Public Relations, 1982-1992 Clerk of Courts, Cleveland Municipal Court, 1976-1977 Sportswriter

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Voting Record on Legislation Involving Budget, Spending and Taxes

(2009) HR 2847 Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (217/212)

Summary: -Appropriates $90.83 billion, including the following (Div. A, Titles 1-3):

-$37.3 billion for the Department of Transportation; -$23.3 billion for the Department of Education; -$2 billion for the Department of Energy; -$2 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency; -$1.25 billion for the Department of Labor; and -$1.18 billion for the Department of Justice;

-Authorizes $12.12 billion in additional appropriations for surface transportation extension (Div. A, Title 2). -Decreases the maximum limitation on the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase "troubled assets" under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) by $150 billion (Div. A, Sec. 1701). -Establishes the Education Jobs Fund within the Department of Education, for which $23 billion is appropriated for the creation and retention of education jobs and for supporting early childhood, elementary, secondary, or postsecondary educational services or for modernization, renovation, and repair of school facilities, and specifies that funds cannot be used for a state's rainy day fund or to pay any debt obligations (Div. A, Chapter 5). -Extends funding for several federal highway, transit, and transportation projects through September 2010, including but not limited to certain projects authorized under the Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU); the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (Div. A, Sec. 2002). -Extends the eligibility period for Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation coverage so that it ends on June 30, 2010 rather than December 31, 2009, and extends the maximum duration of assistance from 9 months to 15 months (Div. A, Sec. 3302). -Specifies that certain employees whose work hours are reduced and are otherwise eligible may still apply for or continue COBRA benefits (Div. A, Sec. 3302). -Reinstates the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) budget rule, a rule that applies to bills or joint resolutions that affect direct spending or revenue relative to the baseline and that requires such bills to be budget-neutral (Div. B, Secs. 102-103). -Requires PAYGO legislation to make reference to the bill's estimated budgetary effects, as shall be provided by the Congressional Budget Office, before the bill is voted on "if timely submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the chairs of the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate," or if not "timely submitted" by the chairs, upon enactment (Div. B, Sec. 104). -Requires the Office of Management and Budget to maintain and make public on every piece of PAYGO legislation two sets of scorecards, which shall measure the budgetary effects of such legislation over 5 years and over 10 years (Div. B, Sec. 104). -Requires the Office of Management and Budget at the end of every Congressional session to publish and make public a PAYGO report, which shall include the following (Div. B, Sec. 105):

-Current PAYGO scorecards on all PAYGO legislation; -Any current policy adjustments; -Information about any emergency legislation; -Sequestration orders that show how direct spending will be adjusted to offset any costs shown on PAYGO scorecards; and -Other data that would "enhance public understanding" of the above items.-Requires the Office of Management and Budget to calculate the uniform percentage of funds that are to be seized in order to balance spending, and specifies that any uniform percentage exceeding 4 percent shall result in Medicare spending reductions of 4 percent, as well as spending reductions in other nonexempt direct spending programs (Div. B, Sec. 106). -Resolves that unique PAYGO scoring rules will apply to the following types of legislation (Div. B, Sec. 107):

-Legislation that amends or supersedes Medicare physician fee schedules; -Legislation that amends portions of the United States Tax Code governing estate and gift taxes; -Legislation that affects the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT); and -Legislation affecting certain provisions of the Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 or the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, as well as certain provisions of later statutes amending the aforementioned Acts.-Lists several federal programs and activities that would be exempt from payment reductions, including Social Security Benefits and Tier I Railroad Retirement Benefits, Veterans Programs, and Refundable Income Tax Credits (Div. B, Sec. 111).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 4314 Increasing the National Public Debt Limit

Outcome: Bill Passed (218/214)

Summary:

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 3288 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (221/202)

Summary: -Appropriates $1.11 trillion dollars (not including rescissions, unspecified amounts, or advance appropriations for fiscal year 2010-2011) for fiscal year 2009-2010, including but not limited to the following allocations (Divs. A-E):

-$512.84 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services; -$157.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs; and -$77.4 billion for the Department of Transportation; -$67.36 billion for the Department of Education; -$46.98 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development; -$28.31 billion for the Department of Justice; -$25.66 billion for Science-related agencies; -$23.69 billion for the Department of Defense; -$15.94 billion for the Department of Commerce; -$16.09 billion for the Department of Labor; -$16.1 billion for the Department of State and related agencies;. -$13.48 billion for the Department of the Treasury; -$6.85 billion for the Judiciary; and -$2.08 billion for the District of Columbia.-Appropriates $105.78 billion for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010-2011, including, but not limited to, the following allocations (Div. D, Titles 1, 2 & 4):

-$86.79 billion for grants to the states for Medicaid; and -$16 billion for Social Security payments.-Rescinds $1.57 billion in unobligated balances of appropriations from past fiscal years (Divs. A-E). -Appropriates $4.36 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration, including, but not limited to, $2.5 billion for high-speed rail projects (Div. A, Title I). -Appropriates $11.79 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, including, but not limited to, $9.4 billion for formula and bus grants and $75 million for grants to reduce energy consumption and emissions by public transportation (Div. A, Title I). -Appropriates $233 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, including, but not limited to, $65 million for mortgage foreclosure mitigation activities, which includes grants for approved counseling intermediaries that provide foreclosure mitigation assistance in states and areas with high rates of foreclosure and default (Div. A, Title III). -Appropriates $18.72 billion for NASA, including, but not limited to, $6.15 billion for space operations research and development (Div. B, Title III). -Appropriates $16.34 billion for the renewal of section 8 tenant-based annual contributions contracts, including, but not limited to, $200 million for grants in housing revitalization, demolition and replacement programs like HOPE VI, and provides for the renewal of housing vouchers for the Family Unification, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing and Non-elderly Disabled Vouchers programs (Div. A, Title II). -Appropriates $8.58 billion for community planning and development programs, including, but not limited to, $335 million is authorized for housing assistance for individuals living with AIDS (Div. A, Title II). -Appropriates $3.62 billion for state and local law enforcement activities (Div. B, Title II). -Appropriates $10.55 billion for the Employment and Training Administration, including, but not limited to $4.11 billion for federal and state unemployment benefits, and $3.83 billion for employment and training services for unemployed and displaced workers (Div. D, Title I). -Appropriates $6.39 billion for disease control, research, and training, including, but not limited to, $70.72 million in funds for screening and treatment of first response emergency personnel, residents, students, and others related to the attacks on September 11, 2001 (Div. D, Title II). -Appropriates $300 million for International Assistance Programs "Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis" (Div. D, Title II). -Appropriates $431.72 billion for Medicare and Medicaid (not including advance appropriations for fiscal year 2010-2011), including, but not limited to, $220.96 billion for state grants for Medicaid and $207.29 billion for the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund (Div. D, Title II). -Authorizes up to $466.80 million in bilateral and multilateral funds for assistance to Iraq, provided that no funds are used to establish a permanent basing agreement between the United States and Iraq (Div. F, Sec. 7042). -Authorizes up to $1.26 billion in funds for climate change and environment programs (Div. F, Sec. 7081). -Specifies that an automotive dealership that is not lawfully terminated before April 29, 2009 has the right, through binding arbitration, to regain its franchising agreement or to be added as a franchisee by a manufacturer (Div. C, Sec. 747). -Prohibits the use of funds provided under this Act for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates, or allied organizations, and requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an audit to determine if federal funds were misused by ACORN and if so, how to recover such funds and what steps ought to have been taken to prevent misuse (Div. A, Sec. 418; Div. B, Sec. 535). -Prohibits the use of federal funds provided in this Act from being used to fund abortion services, unless a full-term pregnancy would endanger the mother's life, or in the case of rape (Div. B, Sec. 202; Div. C, Sec. 814; Div. D, Sec. 508). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act from being used to distribute needles or syringes for the prevention of blood borne illnesses in locations where the local public health board or local law enforcement authorities deem to be inappropriate (Div. D, Sec. 505). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for activities that support the legalization of any schedule I controlled substance, unless there is significant medical evidence of the therapeutic advantages of the substance (Div. D, Sec. 510). -Prohibits the use of funds to any federal agency that creates a database for monitoring of an individual's use of the Internet, with some exceptions, including, but not limited to, action taken for law enforcement, regulator, or supervisory purposes (Div. C, Sec. 727). -Prohibits funds from being used to transfer a prisoner detained at the Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the U.S., unless the prisoner is being transferred for the purposes of prosecution or detainment during legal proceedings and the President has submitted a plan to Congress that includes the following (Sec. 14103):

-Determination of any risk to the national security of the U.S. or the safety of inmate populations that is posed by the transfer of the prisoner and a plan for the mitigation of such risk; -Costs associated with transferring the prisoner; -Legal rationale and associated court demands for transfer; and -Copy of a notification sent to the Governor of the State to which the individual will be transferred or, in the case of the District of Columbia, a copy of a notification sent to the the Mayor.-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to support or justify the use of torture by any U.S. Government employee (Div. B, Sec. 519; Div. F, Sec. 7069). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act from assisting or providing reparations to Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria including direct loans, credits, insurance, and guarantees of the Export-Import Bank or any of its agents (Div. F, Sec. 7007). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act from directly financing governments whose head of state has been overthrown by a coup d'etat, with the exception of providing assistance in carrying out democratically-run elections (Div. F, Sec. 7008). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for countries that have defaulted payments in excess of one year on loans granted by the U.S., unless the President determines that such assistance is in the best interests of the U.S. (Div. F, Sec. 7012). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for assistance to any government that provides "lethal military equipment" to any country that supports international terrorism, as determined by the Secretary of State (Div. F, Sec. 7021). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for programs that violate internationally recognized workers' rights or that provide financial incentives to U.S. companies to relocate their operations outside of the country if doing so would reduce the number of employees in the United States (Div. F, Sec. 7029). -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for authorizing any guarantee, insurance, or credit to an energy producer or refiner that provides Iran with the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons, including providing, importing, or assisting Iran with producing large amounts of refined petroleum (Div. F, Sec. 7043). -Requires the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations an annual report outlining the progress the Department of Defense has made in encouraging host countries to increase their share of the common defense burden with the United States, and specifies that the report shall include the following (Div. E, Sec. 118):

-Efforts to secure cash and in-kind contributions for military construction projects; -Efforts to achieve economic incentives offered by host countries to encourage private investment for the benefit of the U.S. Armed Forces; -Efforts to recover funds due to be paid to the U.S. by host countries for assets imparted to host countries upon the cessation of U.S. operations at military installations; -The amount host countries spend on defense; and -For host countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the amount contributed to NATO by host countries as a percentage of the NATO budget.-Authorizes a cash award of up to 10 percent of basic pay to any employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that maintains proficiency in a language deemed critical to their official duties (Div. B, Sec. 219).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 4154 Estate Tax Law Amendments and Reinstatement of PAYGO

Outcome: Bill Passed (225/200)

Summary: -Reinstates the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) budget rule, a rule that applies to bills or joint resolutions that affect direct spending or revenue relative to the baseline and that requires such bills to be budget-neutral (Sec. 102, 103). -Requires PAYGO legislation to make reference to the bill's estimated budgetary effects, as shall be provided by the Congressional Budget Office, "if timely submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the chairs of the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate" before it is voted on (Sec. 104). -Requires the Office of Management and Budget to maintain and make public on every piece of PAYGO legislation two sets of scorecards, which shall measure the budgetary effects of such legislation over 5 years and over 10 years (Sec. 104). -Requires the Office of Management and Budget at the end of every Congressional session to publish and make public a PAYGO report, which shall include the following (Sec. 105):

-Current PAYGO scorecards on all PAYGO legislation; -Any current policy adjustments; -Information about any emergency legislation; -Sequestration orders that show how direct spending will be adjusted to offset any costs shown on PAYGO scorecards; and -Other data that would "enhance public understanding" of the above items.-Requires the Office of Management and Budget to calculate the uniform percentage of funds that are to be seized in order to balance spending, and specifies that any uniform percentage exceeding 4 percent shall result in Medicare spending reductions of 4 percent, as well as spending reductions in other nonexempt direct spending programs (Sec. 106). -Resolves that unique PAYGO scoring rules will apply to one of the four budget areas (Sec. 107):

-Legislation that amends or supersedes Medicare physician fee schedules; -Legislation that amends portions of the United States Tax Code governing estate and gift taxes; -Legislation that affects the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT); and -Legislation affecting certain provisions of the Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 or the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, as well as certain provisions of later statutes amending the aforementioned Acts.-Lists several other federal programs and activities that would be exempt from payment reductions, including Social Security Benefits and Tier I Railroad Retirement Benefits, Veterans Programs, and Refundable Income Tax Credits (Sec. 111).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (403/12)

Summary: -Extends second-tier unemployment benefits and specifies everyone will be eligible to receive the lesser of the following (Sec. 2):

-54 percent of the total amount of compensation, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law during the benefit year; or -14 times the individual's average weekly benefit, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law.-Establishes third-tier unemployment benefits for states with unemployment rates of at least 6.5 percent for the last 3 months, for which an individual is eligible to receive the lesser of the following once second-tier benefits have been exhausted (Sec. 3):

-50 percent of the total amount of regular compensation, including benefits paid to dependents, pas provided by existing state law during the benefit year; or -13 times the individual's average weekly benefit, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law.-Establishes fourth-tier unemployment benefits in states that have unemployment rates of at least 8.5 percent for the last 3 months, for which an individual is eligible to receive the lesser of the following once third-tier benefits have been exhausted (Sec. 4):

-24 percent of the total amount of regular compensation, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law during the benefit year; or -6 times the individual's average weekly benefit, including benefits paid to dependents,as provided by existing state law.-Extends the 6.2 percent tax rate imposed by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act on the first $7,000 in wages paid by employers through June 31, 2011, at which point the tax is reduced to 6 percent, whereas existing law required the tax rate be reduced to 6 percent in 2010 (Sec. 10). -Extends a homebuyer tax credit of 10 percent of the purchase price up to $8,000 for first-time purchasers who buy a principal residence before May 1, 2010, whereas existing law required the tax credit expire for homes purchased after December 1, 2009 (Sec. 11). -Establishes a homebuyer tax credit of up to $6,500 for homeowners who file jointly and $3,250 for single homeowners who have lived in their principal residence for at least 5 consecutive years out of the past 8 years (Sec. 11). -Prohibits a homebuyer tax credit for first time purchasers who buy a home that exceeds $800,000 (Sec. 11). -Increases the income limitation for the homebuyer tax credit for homeowners living in their home for at least 5 years from $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for joint filers to $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for joint filers (Sec.11). -Extends the homebuyer tax credit for members of the armed services who purchase a principal residence before May 1, 2011, whereas existing law repealed the credit on May 1, 2010, and specifies that any member of the armed services who is forced to sell that home within three years of the purchase for reasons of overseas deployment will not have to pay back the credit (Sec. 11). -Extends the net operating loss deduction period from 2 years to 5 years, and includes net losses during the year of 2009 (Sec. 13). -Limits the net operating deduction to 50 percent of an individual's taxable income, except for businesses with annual gross receipts of $15 million or less (Sec. 13). -Prohibits businesses that receive benefits from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, from being eligible to file for the 5-year carry back of net operating losses tax credit (Sec. 13).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 2996 Continuing Appropriations Extension and 2009-2010 Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Appropriations

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (247/178)

Summary: -Extends fiscal year 2009-2010 continuing appropriations (see HR 2918) for departments, agencies and other organizational units of the federal government through December 18, 2009 (Div. B, Sec. 101). -Appropriates a total of $32.39 billion, of which (Div. A, Title I-III):

-$11.08 billion shall go to fund various programs in the Department of the Interior; -$10.29 billion shall go to fund various programs in the Environmental Protection Agency; and -$11.01 billion shall go to fund various programs in related agencies.-Extends the temporary loan limit increase established by HR 5140 (the "Economic Stimulus Act") for mortgages insured by the federal government until the end of 2010 (Div. B, Sec. 104). -Appropriates $4.97 billion in State and Tribal assistance grants, including $2.1 billion in grants for Clean Water State Revolving Funds (Div. A, Title II). -Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to transfer up to $475 million for activities that would support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (Div. A, Title II). -Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to transfer $8 million to the Navy to fund clean-up activities at the Treasure Island Naval Station-Hunters Point Annex (Div. A, Title IV, Sec. 415). -Prohibits the distribution of funds from this act to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or its subsidiaries (Div. A, Title IV, Sec. 427). -Prohibits the use of funds from this or any other act to release or transfer to the United States, its territories, or another country, any detainee at the Guantanamo Bay Prison Facility in Cuba (Div. A, Title IV, Sec. 428). -Establishes within the United States Treasury the Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement (FLAME) Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, the purpose of which is to cover the costs of suppressing large or complex wildfires and to provide additional funding when Wildland Fire Management appropriation accounts are exhausted (Div. A, Title V, Sec. 502). -Provides additional funds for small business loans at a rate for operations of $80 million (Div. B, Sec. 104). -Provides that up to $200 million in funds shall be available for public housing agencies for the purpose of preventing the termination of funds that provide housing assistance to families (Div. B, Sec. 104).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (307/114)

Summary: -Authorizes $34.28 billion in appropriations for Security, Enforcement, and Investigations to be allocated as follows (Title II):

-$10.13 billion for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; -$9.88 billion for the Coast Guard; -$7.36 billion for the Transportation Security Administration; -$5.44 billion for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and -$1.48 billion for the Secret Service.-Authorizes $8.73 billion in appropriations for Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (not including the authorization of appropriations that are contingent upon to the amount of revenue available) to be allocated as follows (Title III):

-$7.27 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, not including an authorization of an appropriation for Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program that is contingent upon the aggregate charges assessed during fiscal year 2009-2010; -$1.32 billion for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, not including an authorization of an appropriation for the Federal Protective Service that is contingent upon the revenue and collections of security fees credited to this account; and -$139.25 million for the Office of Health Affairs.-Authorizes $1.9 billion in appropriations for Research and Development, Training, and Services, of which (Title IV):

-$1.01 billion for Science and Technology; -$383.04 million for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; -$282.81 million for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; and -$224 million for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, including $137 million for the E-Verify basic pilot program, a voluntary federal program for verifying employment eligibility.-Authorizes $1.25 billion in appropriations for Departmental Management and Operations (Title I). -Prohibits funds from being used to transfer a prisoner detained at the Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the U.S., unless the prisoner is being transferred for the purposes of prosecution or detainment during legal proceedings and the President submits a plan to Congress that includes the following (Sec. 552):

-Determination of the risk that the individual might instigate an act of terrorism in the U.S., and the plan for mitigating the risk; -Determination of the risk that the individual might advocate, coerce, or incite violent extremism, ideologically motivated criminal activity, or acts of terrorism, among inmate populations at incarceration facilities, and the plan for mitigating the risk; -Assessment of the risk to the national security of the U.S. or its citizens, and the plan for mitigating the risk; -Costs associated with transferring the prisoner; -Legal rationale and associated court demands for transfer; and -Copy of a notification sent to the Governor of the State to which the individual will be transferred or, in the case of the District of Columbia, a copy of a notification sent to the the Mayor.-Prohibits funds from being used to transfer or release a prisoner detained at the Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to another country, unless the President submits the following information to Congress (Sec. 552):

-Name of the individual and the country to which the individual is being transferred or released; -Assessment of the risk to the national security of the U.S. or its citizens, and the plan for mitigating the risk; and -The terms of agreement between the United States and the country that accepts the individual.-Requires any detainee held at the Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba be put on the No Fly List, unless the President certifies in writing that the individual does not pose a threat to the national security of the U.S., its citizens, or its allies (Sec. 553). -Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a report that details the implementation-to-date and necessary costs of maintaining and enhancing border fencing in the United States, including vehicle barriers and other forms of tactical infrastructure and technology, to be reviewed by the Government Accountability Office and presented to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees no later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act (Title II). -Specifies that members of Congress, heads of federal agencies, the U.S. Attorney General, Assistant Attorneys General, U.S. Attorneys, and senior members of the Executive Office are not exempt from Federal passenger and baggage screenings (Title II). -Requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit the following reports to the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations (Title III):

-Disaster readiness expenditure plan within 60 days from the enactment of this bill; -Quarterly reports detailing to-date-financial obligations and justification for any changes in spending; and -Monthly disaster relief reports.-Rescinds $41.27 million from unobligated balances of fiscal year 2008-2009 appropriations (Secs. 573-580).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (281/146)

Summary: -Authorizes $681.02 billion in appropriations, including $639.32 billion in Department of Defense authorizations for fiscal year 2009-2010, $24.75 billion in military construction authorizations for fiscal years after 2008-2009, and $16.94 billion in Department of Energy national security authorizations and other authorizations for fiscal year 2009-2010. -Expands the legal definition of 'hate crime' to include crimes in which a victim or his/her property is selected as the object of the crime because of the victim's gender identity (Sec. 4703). -Establishes the following penalties for causing (or attempting to cause) bodily injury to a person through use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive because of any person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin (Sec. 4707):

-imprisonment for no more than ten years, a fine, or both; or -if the offense results in death or includes kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, attempted aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, imprisonment for any term up to life in prison, a fine, or both.-Establishes the following penalties for causing (or attempting to cause) bodily injury to a person through use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive because of any person's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability when the offense involves travel across state or national borders, the defendant uses a channel of interstate or foreign commerce or the offense affects such commerce, or when the defendant uses a weapon that has traveled in interstate or foreign commerce (Sec. 4707):

-the state does not have jurisdiction; -the state has requested that the federal government assume jurisdiction; -the verdict or sentence under state charges did not "demonstratively" vindicate the federal interest in eradicating bias-motivated violence; or -a prosecution by the United States is "in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice."-Requires the Secretary of Defense to submit congressional reports pertaining to the procurement of "4.5 generation fighter aircraft", technologically advanced fighter aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, and F-18, and to the feasibility of procuring additional F-35 aircraft for use by the Air National Guard (Sec. 131). -Repeals funding for the procurement of new F-22A fighter aircraft, and requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the impact of potential sales of F-22A fighter aircraft to foreign countries (Sec. 132, 1250). -Requires the Secretary of Defense to assess and report to Congress details regarding the Midcourse Defense element of the Ballistic Missile Defense system, including its intended use, its capabilities, the infrastructure needed to achieve its capabilities, and the advantages and disadvantages of deploying interceptor missiles (Sec. 232). -Authorizes $309 million for research and evaluation, procurement, or deployment of an alternative Missile Defense System in Europe (Sec. 235). -Requires the Secretary of Defense to bring to Congress by March 1, 2010 a comprehensive plan for testing and evaluating the Ballistic Missile Defense system and its various elements (Sec. 236). -Allows the Secretary of Defense to increase the active-duty number for the US Army to a number greater than otherwise allowed by law up to the 2010 baseline plus 30,000 troops (Sec. 403). -Authorizes $136.02 billion for military personnel for the fiscal year 2010 (Sec. 421). -Requires States to transmit requested absentee ballots to overseas voters no later than 45 days before an election to ensure sufficient time to vote (Sec. 579). -Increases the monthly pay of uniformed service members by 3.4 percent, effective January 1, 2010 (Sec. 601). -Prohibits funds from being used to transfer a prisoner detained at the Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the U.S. during the period between October 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 until 45 days after the President has submitted a plan to Congress that includes the following (Sec. 1041):

-findings of an analysis regarding any risk to the national security of the U.S. that is posed by the transfer of the prisoner and a plan for the mitigation of such risk; -costs associated with transferring the prisoner; -a proposal for the disposition of the prisoner, including the location at which the individual will be held; -a certification by the Attorney General that the individual poses little or no security risk under the plan; and -a summary of the consultation between the President and the Governor of the State to which the individual will be transferred or, in the case of the District of Columbia, the Mayor.-Requires the Secretary of Defense to present to Congress a report that shall detail the "responsible redeployment," as well as the military activities and the eventual withdrawal, of U.S. troops from Iraq (Sec. 1227). -Authorizes $3 million for researching and analyzing the implementation of the strategic objectives set forth by the Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, including securing the eastern and southern regions of the country to allow the Afghan government to establish effective control and to provide for the training of Afghan security forces (Sec. 1235). -Requires the President to submit a report detailing and assessing current and future U.S.-Iranian diplomatic relations, and shall include assessments on the extent of Iran's nuclear and missile procurement activities and the narcotics trade between Iran and Afghanistan (Sec. 1241). -Requires the President to provide a summary and analysis of current sanctions against Iran, and recommends that the President consider further sanctions if Iran rejects U.S. diplomatic efforts and if the United Nations does not adopt "significant and meaningful" sanctions against the Iranian government (Sec. 1241, 1254). -Requires the Secretaries of Defense and State to prepare a report to Congress detailing the actions taken within their departments relating to laying the groundwork for the use of armed security teams aboard U.S. commercial ships that travel in areas that are at high risk for pirate attacks (Sec. 3506). -Encourages the Department of Defense to "undertake all feasible efforts" to recover and return to the United States the remains of Armed Forces members killed in the World War II Battle of Tarawa Atoll (Sec. 544).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 2997 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (263/162)

Summary: -Appropriates $126.46 billion for agriculture, rural development, the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies for fiscal year 2009-2010, including the following allocations (Title I-VI):

-$82.78 billion to Domestic Food programs; -$24.57 billion to Rural Development programs; -$12.54 billion to Agriculture programs; -$3.25 billion to the Food and Drug Administration; -$2.09 billion to the Foreign Agricultural Service; and -$1.01 billion to Conservation programs.-Appropriates $350 million for dairy producer aid, $60 million of which shall go to the purchase of cheese and other dairy products and $290 million of which shall go to the assistance of dairy and other livestock producers that incur economic losses in connection with dairy and other livestock production (Title VII Sec. 748). -Appropriates $4 million to the Secretary of Agriculture for grants for programs that develop and field test food products that are "designed to improve the nutritional delivery of humanitarian food assistance" (Title VII Sec. 724). -Appropriates $3 million to the Hunger Fellowship Program, a program designed to encourage leadership in humanitarian service, to provide training and development opportunities for such leaders, and to increase awareness of the importance of public service (Title VII Sec. 727). -Resolves that combat pay will not be considered income when determining eligibility for free or reduced school lunches for the children of members of the United States Armed Forces, nor for military eligible to apply for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Children, and Infants (Title VII Sec. 734). -Prohibits the use of funds to provide first class travel to employees of agencies that receive funding under this Act (Title VII Sec. 736). -Prohibits the use of funds to establish or implement rules allowing the importation of poultry products from the People's Republic of China, unless the Secretary of Agriculture takes specified steps including conducting audits of inspection systems and on-site reviews of Chinese poultry processing facilities before certifying any such products as eligible for importation (Title VII, Sec. 743). -Resolves that any household with at least 1 eligible child receiving assistance under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act will continue to receive assistance from a state agency plan approved by the Department of Agriculture if the child's school is closed for more than five consecutive days due to a pandemic emergency (Title VII, Sec. 746).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (217/190)

Summary: -Appropriates a total of $2.32 billion to the United States Congress, $926.16 million of which shall fund the operations of the Senate, and $1.37 billion of which shall fund the operations of the House of Representatives (Title I). -Appropriates a total of $2.33 billion to other Legislative offices, including, but not limited to, the following (Title I): -$684.3 million for the Library of Congress; -$556.85 million for the Government Accountability Office; -$551.59 million for the Architect of the Capitol; and -$328.32 million for the Capitol Police. -Reduces the amount that the United States Postal Service is required to pay into the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund by September 30, 2009 from $5.4 billion to $1.4 billion (Title II, Sec. 164). -Increases the gross rate of employee compensation in the Offices of the Senators by $50,000 (Title I, Sec. 1). -Mandates that Senate expenditure reports be posted online in a "searchable, itemized format" (Title I, Sec. 2). -Increases allowances for the Office of the House Majority Whip and the Office of the House Minority Whip by $96,000 for each of the offices per fiscal year (Title I, Sec. 102). -Prohibits funds made available under this or any prior act from being provided to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations (Title II, Sec. 163). -Appropriates $50 million to be used for the "revitalization" of historical buildings and assets of the House of Representatives that are under the purview of the Architect of the Capitol (Title I, Sec. 1304)

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits

Outcome: Bill Passed (331/83)

Summary: -Requires individual's to have exhausted all unemployment compensation available before accepting supplemental federal emergency unemployment compensation (Sec. 2). -Specifies that recipients are eligible to receive the lesser of (Sec. 2):

-50 percent of the total amount of compensation, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law during the individual's benefit year; or -13 times the individual's average weekly benefit, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law. -Extends the 6.2 percent tax rate imposed by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act on the first $7,000 in wages paid by employers through June 31, 2011, at which point the tax is reduced to 6 percent, whereas existing law required the tax rate be reduced to 6 percent in 2010 (Sec. 3).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN

Outcome: Motion Agreed (345/75)

Summary: -The proposed amendment to the bill does the following (Sec. 602):

-Specifies that the prohibition on federal funding and assistance shall apply to an organization that has been indicted for a violation of campaign finance and voter registration laws, has failed to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements, has filed a fraudulent form with a regulatory agency, or employs an individual who has been indicted for a violation of election law; -Provides that an organization subject to the prohibition under this section is ineligible to receive Federal contracts or grants, and cannot enter into any form of Federal agreement; -Prohibits any Federal employee or contractor from promoting or recommending an organization subject to the prohibition under this section; and -Declares that the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN) and its affiliates are included among the organizations that are subject to the prohibition on federal assistance under this section.-The motion to recommit was introduced by Representative Darrell Issa on September 17, 2009, and the text of the proposed amendment can be found in the Congressional Record on page H9699.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 3221 Student Aid Program Modifications

Outcome: Bill Passed (253/171)

Summary: -Prohibits the making or insuring of any new loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program after June 30, 2010 (Sec. 201). -Establishes the Federal Direct Perkins Loan Program and sets the interest rate on loans made under the program at 5 percent per year (Sec. 221). -Makes up to $6 billion of annual loan authority available for purposes associated with the Federal Direct Perkins Loan Program (Sec. 224). -Appropriates $2.03 billion for fiscal year 2007-2008 and $2.73 billion for fiscal year 2008-2009 to finance an increase in Federal Pell Grants and provides for Federal Pell Grant amounts to be adjusted for inflation in award year 2011-2012 and each subsequent award year (Sec. 101). -Appropriates $2.02 billion for grants for public school facility renovation, modernization, and repair (Sec. 345). -Appropriates $1 billion per year for early education projects for fiscal years 2009-2010 to 2016-2017 (Sec. 409). -Appropriates $730 million per year for the American Graduation Initiative for fiscal years 2009-2010 to 2012-2013, and $680 million per year for fiscal years 2013-2014 to 2018-2019 (Sec. 501). -Appropriates $600 million per year from fiscal year 2009-2010 through fiscal year 2013-2014 to be distributed as grants to organizations and programs related to expansion of access to and completion of higher education (Sec. 102). -Appropriates $50 million for fiscal year 2009-2010 for technical assistance to institutions of higher education to aid in the establishing and administering of loan programs, and authorizes appropriations for unspecified "necessary sums" to be used for the same purposes for fiscal years 2011-2014 (Sec. 216). -Appropriates $30 million for supplemental grants for public school modernization, renovation, repairing, and construction in the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, and specifies that an amount equal to the damages inflicted on public school facilities during Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in each district shall be allocated to the relevant local educational agencies in affected areas (Secs. 322, 345). -Mandates that all iron, steel and manufactured goods used for renovation, repair, construction, and modernization projects funded by this act must be produced in the United States, unless the Secretary of Education finds this requirement is "inconsistent with the public interest" (Sec. 336). -Prohibits federal funding or assistance from being provided to an organization which is found to have violated state or federal campaign finance or election laws, and specifically names the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and affiliated organizations as ineligible for federal funding or assistance (Sec. 602). -Waives student loan repayment requirements for students who must withdraw from college enrollment because of an obligation to return to military service (Sec. 105). -Requires the Secretary of Education to make direct loan servicing contracts by way of a competitive bidding process, if "practicable" (Sec. 214).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 3435 Supplemental Appropriations for the "Cash for Clunkers" Program

Outcome: Bill Passed (316/109)

Summary: -Provides that the funds appropriated in this bill shall remain available until September 30, 2010. -Mandates that $2 billion be transferred from the Department of Energy's Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 3221 Student Aid Program Modifications

Outcome: (/)

Summary:

Kucinich's Vote

C

(2009) HR 2454 Energy and Environmental Law Amendments ("Cap and Trade")

Outcome: Bill Passed (219/212)

Summary: -Establishes the following greenhouse gas emission reduction goals for the U.S. (Sec. 702):

-3 percent reduction from 2005 levels in 2012; -20 percent reduction from 2005 levels in 2020; -42 percent reduction from 2005 levels in 2030; and -83 percent reduction from 2005 levels in 2050.-Establishes a cap and trade program in which covered entities are prohibited from emitting greenhouse gas in excess of the number of emission allowances and offset credits that the entity acquired during each calendar year (Sec. 311). -Specifies that a "covered entity" includes, but is not limited to, the following (Sec. 312):

-Any electricity source; -Stationary source that produces and entities that import for sale or distribution in 2008 or any subsequent year petroleum-based or coal-based liquid fuel, petroleum coke, or natural gas liquid, the combustion of which would emit at least 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas; -Any geologic sequestration site; -Any stationary source involved in adipic acid production, primary aluminum production, ammonia manufacturing, cement production other than grinding-only operations, hydrochlorofluorocarbon production, lime manufacturing, nitric acid production, petroleum refining, phosphoric acid production, silicon carbine production, soda ash production, titanium dioxide production, and coal-based liquid or gaseous fuel production; and -Natural gas local distribution companies that deliver at least 460 million cubic feet of natural gas.-Specifies that any of the following constitute a greenhouse gas: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons emitted from a chemical manufacturing process at an industrial stationary source, any perfluorocarbon, nitrogen trifluoride, and any other anthropogenic gas designated as a greenhouse gas by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Sec. 311). -Specifies that the following measurements are all equal to 1 ton of carbon dioxide for the purposes of establishing the carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas (Sec. 311):

-25 tons of methane; -298 tons of nitrous oxide; -14,800 tons of HFC-23 (fluoroform); -3,500 tons of HFC-125 (pentafluoroethane); -1,430 tons of HFC-134a (tetrafluoroethane); -4,470 tons of HFC-143a (trifluoroethane); -124 tons of HFC-152a (difluoroethane); -3,220 tons of HFC-227ea (heptafluoropropane); -9,810 tons of HFC-236fa (hexafluoropropane); -1,640 tons of HFC-43-10mee (decafluoropentane); -7,390 tons of CF4 (tetrafluoromethane); -12,200 tons of C2F6 (hexafluorethane); -8,860 tons of C4F10 (perfluorobutane); -9,300 tons of C6F14 (perfluorohexane); -22,800 tons of SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride); and -17,200 tons of NF3 (nitrogen fluoride).-Specifies that one emission allowance is equal to one ton of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas (Sec. 311). -Specifies that emission allowances are not required for fugitive greenhouse gas emissions produced by electricity sources, nitrogen trifluoride sources, industrial stationary sources, and industrial fossil fuel-fired combustion devices, unless the Administrator of the EPA determines that such emissions can be determined with sufficient precision, reliability, accessibility and timeliness (Sec. 311). -Specifies that emission allowances are not required for petroleum-based or coal-based liquid fuel, petroleum coke, natural gas liquid, fossil fuel-based carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, or fluorinated gas that is exported for sale or use (Sec. 311). -Limits the number of available emission allowances to the following, with some exceptions for adjustments by the Administrator of the EPA (Sec. 311):

-4.63 billion for 2012; -4.54 billion for 2013; -5.1 billion for 2014; -5 billion for 2015; -5.48 billion for 2016; -5.38 billion for 2017; -5.27 billion for 2018; -5.16 billion for 2019; -5.06 billion for for 2020; -4.9 billion for 2021; -4.75 billion for 2022; -4.6 billion for 2023; -4.45 billion for 2024; -4.29 billion for 2025; -4.14 billion for 2026; -3.99 billion for 2027; -3.84 billion for 2028; -3.69 billion for 2029; -3.53 billion for 2030; -3.41 billion for 2031; -3.28 billion for 2032; -3.16 billion for 2033; -3.03 billion for 2034; -2.91 billion for 2035; -2.78 billion for 2036; -2.66 billion for 2037; -2.53 billion for 2038; -2.41 billion for 2039 -2.28 billion for 2040; -2.16 billion for 2041; -2.03 billion for 2042; -1.91 billion for 2043; -1.79 billion for 2044; -1.66 billion for 2045; -1.54 billion for 2046; -1.41 billion for 2047; -1.29 billion for 2048; -1.16 billion for 2049; and -1.04 billion for 2050 and each year thereafter.-Allocates a specific annual percentage of emission allowances automatically for various purposes, including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 321):

-43.75 percent for 2012 and 2013; -38.89 percent for 2014 and 2015; -35 percent for 2016 through 2025; -28 percent for 2026; -21 percent for 2027; -14 percent for 2028; and -7 percent for 2029;

-9.5 percent for 2012 and 2015; -6.5 percent for 2016 and 2017; -5.5 percent for 2018 and 2021; -1 percent for 2022 through 2025; -4.5 percent for 2026 through 2050; and -At the same time allowances are distributed for years 2022 through 2025, 3.55 percent is distributed to be used in four years, in addition to the allocation for years 2026 through 2050;

-9 percent for 2016 through 2025; -7.2 percent for 2026; -5.4 percent for 2027; -3.6 percent for 2028; and -1.8 percent for 2029;

-5 percent for 2012 through 2025; -3 percent for 2026 through 2030; and -2 percent for 2031 through 2050;

-1.75 percent for 2014 through 2017; -4.75 percent for 2018 through 2019; and -5 percent for 2020 through 2050.

-Requires the Administrator of the EPA to hold a single-round, sealed-bid, uniform price auction 4 times per year at regular intervals, with the first auction to be held no later than March 31, 2011, in which covered entities may purchase emission allowances that were not automatically allocated for various purposes as described above (Sec. 311). -Prohibits participants from purchasing more than 5 percent of the emission allowances offered for sale at any quarterly auction (Sec. 311). -Requires the Administrator of the EPA to set aside a specific number of emission allowances for small businesses at each auction as follows (Sec. 311):

-6.2 percent of the emission allowances from 2012 through 2013; -5.4 percent of the emission allowances from 2014 through 2015; and -4.9 percent of the emission allowances from 2016 through 2024.-Authorizes covered entities to utilize offset credits to demonstrate compliance in the cap and trade program for projects that result in reductions or avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions or sequestration of greenhouse gas, provided that such credits do not exceed 2 billion tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions (Sec. 311). -Authorizes the holder of an emission allowance, compensatory allowance, or offset credit to sell, exchange, transfer, hold for compliance, or request that the Administration retire the emission allowance, compensatory allowance, or offset credit (Sec. 311). -Establishes a penalty for covered entities that emit greenhouse gases in excess of the amount of emission allowances and offset credits the covered entity has acquired. The penalty is equal to the product obtained by multiplying the following (Sec. 311):

-Total amount of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions for which the covered entity failed to demonstrate compliance; and -Twice the auction clearing price for the earliest year emission allowances in the last auction carried out.-Requires retail electric suppliers that supply more than 4 million megawatt hours of electric energy to consumers per year to derive the following amounts of the total electricity they sell from renewable sources (Sec. 101):

-6 percent in 2012 and 2013; -9.5 percent in 2014 and 2015; -13 percent in 2016 and 2017; -16.5 percent in 2018 and 2019; and -20 percent from 2020 through 2039.-Authorizes electric suppliers to opt out of the renewable sources requirement listed above and pay $25 per megawatt hour of electricity savings that would otherwise be due (Sec. 101). -Requires electric utilities to develop a plan to support the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles, including the deployment of the charging infrastructure or other infrastructure necessary to adequately support the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles (Sec. 121). -Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to deploy and integrate plug-in electric drive vehicles into the the electricity grid in multiple regions, and authorizes the Secretary to provide financial assistance for the purchase of such vehicles, supporting the use of such vehicles, or other projects the Secretary determines appropriate to support the large-scale deployment of such vehicles (Sec. 122). -Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to provide financial assistance to automobile manufactures to facilitate the manufacture of plug-in electric drive vehicles, and requires the Secretary to select recipients that are most likely to be successful and are located in local markets that have the greatest need for such assistance (Sec. 123). -Establishes the energy efficiency goal of the U.S. as an improvement of overall energy productivity by at least 2.5 percent per year through 2030, and requires the Secretary of Energy to develop a strategic plan to achieve this goal, which must include the following (Sec. 272):

-Future regulatory, funding, and policy priorities; -Energy savings estimates for each sector; and -Data collection methodologies and compilations used to establish baseline and energy savings data.-Authorizes the states to utilize funds from their SEED Account, composed of federal funds appropriated pursuant to the Clean Air Act, to provide rebates of up to $7,500 to owners of manufactured homes constructed prior 1976 in which the total income of all members of the household does not exceed 200 percent of the Federal poverty level for income in the applicable area for the purposes of purchasing a new Energy Star qualified manufactured home (Sec. 203). -Increases energy efficiency standards for electric motors and florescent and incandescent lamps beginning December 19, 2010 (Sec. 161). -Increases energy efficiency standards for various domestic appliances (Sec. 213). -Establishes the following national building code energy efficiency targets (Sec. 201):

-30 percent reduction in energy use relative to a comparable building constructed in compliance with the baseline code effective on the date of enactment of this Act; -50 percent reduction in energy use relative to the baseline code beginning January 1, 2014 for residential buildings and January 1, 2015 for commercial buildings; and -5 percent additional reduction in energy use relative to the baseline code beginning January 1, 2017 for residential buildings and January 1, 2018 for commercial buildings, and every three years thereafter, respectively, through January 1, 2029.-Appropriates $25 million to the Secretary of Energy to enforce the national energy efficiency building code (Sec. 201). -Appropriates $600 million for fiscal years 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 respectively to establish the Best in Class Appliances Deployment Program for the following reasons (Sec. 214):

-Provide bonus payments to retailers or distributors for the sale of best-in-class high-efficiency household appliance models, high efficiency installed building equipment, and high-efficiency consumer electronics; -Provide bounties to retailers and manufacturers for the replacement, retirement, and recycling of old inefficient and environmentally harmful products; and -Provide premium awards to manufacturers for developing and producing new Superefficient Best-in-Class Products.-Appropriates $7.5 million for fiscal year 2009-2010, $10 million for fiscal year 2010-2011, $20 million for fiscal year 2011-2012, and $50 million for fiscal year 2012-2013 to establish the WaterSense program within the Environmental Protection Agency to promote water efficient products, buildings and landscapes, and services (Sec. 215). -Appropriates $15 billion for fiscal years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 respectively to establish the Clean Energy Manufacturing Revolving Loan Fund Program for issuing grants to States to issue loans to manufactures for investments in clean energy technology, including, but not limited to, wind turbines, solar energy, fuel cells, biomass equipment, geothermal equipment, advanced biofuels, ocean energy equipment, carbon capture and storage, and advanced batteries, battery systems, or storage devices (Sec. 246). -Appropriates $200 million for fiscal year 2009-2010, $250 million for fiscal year 2010-2011, $300 million for fiscal year 2011-2012, $350 million for fiscal year 2012-2013 and $400 for fiscal year 2013-2014 for the Hollings Manufacturing Partnership Program (Sec. 247). -Appropriates $2.5 billion to establish the Residential Energy Efficiency Block Grant Program for issuing grants to States, metropolitan cities and urban counties, Indian tribes, and insular areas to carry out energy efficiency improvements in new and existing single-family and multifamily housing (Sec. 296). -Appropriates $5 billion to the Alternative Energy Sources State Loan Fund established by this Act for the Secretary of Energy to issue loans to states and Indian tribes to provide incentives to owners of single-family and multifamily housing, commercial properties, and public buildings to provide renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and energy conserving improvements, and infrastructure related to the delivery of electricity and hot water for structures lacking such amenities (Sec. 299D). -Increases appropriation for loans to be issued by the Secretary of Energy under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program from $25 million to $50 million (Sec. 125). -Increases appropriation for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program from $125 million to $150 million (Sec. 422).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 2346 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (226/202)

Summary: -Supplements and rescinds appropriations for the Department of Defense (includes Department of Defense-Civil), totaling $80.93 billion in supplemental funding, including, but not limited to, the following (Titles III, IV & X):

-$3.61 billion for the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund; and -$400 million for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund;

-Appropriates $9.7 billion for the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and other agencies for costs associated with international assistance, including, but not limited to, the following (Title XI):

-$4.65 billion for bilateral economic assistance, including, but not limited to, $2.97 billion for the Economic Support Fund; -$2.18 billion for international security assistance, including, but not limited to, $1.29 billion for the Foreign Military Financing Program; -$1.94 billion for Diplomatic and Consular Programs; and -$721 million for international peacekeeping activities.-Appropriates $7.73 billion in supplemental funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, including, but not limited to, $7.65 billion for costs associated with preparation for and response to the influenza pandemic (Title VIII). -Appropriates $4.97 billion to increase the U.S. quota in the International Monetary Fund (Title XIV). -Appropriates $1 billion for the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program ("Cash for Clunkers"), of which $50 million is available for administration (Title XIII). -Prohibits funds from being used to transfer a prisoner detained at the Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the U.S., unless the prisoner is being transferred for the purposes of prosecution or detainment during legal proceedings and the President has submitted a plan to Congress that includes the following (Sec. 14103):

-Findings of an analysis regarding any risk to the national security of the U.S. that is posed by the transfer of the prisoner and a plan for the mitigation of such risk; -Costs associated with transferring the prisoner; -Legal rationale and associated court demands for transfer; and -Copy of a notification sent to the Governor of the State to which the individual will be transferred or, in the case of the District of Columbia, a copy of a notification sent to the the Mayor.-Prohibits funds from being used to establish permanent military bases in Iraq or Afghanistan or exercise U.S. control over the oil resources of Iraq (Secs. 314-315). -Requires the President to submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees no later than the date of submission of the fiscal year 2010-2011 budget assessing the extent to which the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan are demonstrating the necessary commitment, capability, conduct and unity of purpose to warrant the continuation of the President's policy. The report must include the following (Sec. 1116):

-Level of political consensus and unity of purpose across ethnic, tribal, religious and political party affiliations; -Level of government corruption; -Actions taken by security forces and appropriate government entities in developing a counterinsurgency capability; -Actions taken by intelligence agencies in cooperating with the U.S. on counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations; -Ability of the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan to effectively control and govern territory within their respective borders; and -Ways in which U.S. assistance has contributed, or failed to contribute, to achieving the stated goals.-Requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress no later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act and every 90 days thereafter through September 30, 2010 on the current reduction and eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq by August 31, 2010. The report must include the following (Sec. 316):

-Troop draw down status and goals; -Month-by-month description of the transition of U.S. military forces and contractors out of Iraq; -How the Government of Iraq is assuming the responsibility for reconciliation initiatives; -How the draw down plan complies with the President's planned withdrawal of combat brigades; and -The roles and responsibilities of remaining contractors in Iraq.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 2751 Trade-in Vouchers for Fuel Efficient Cars

Outcome: Bill Passed (298/119)

Summary: -Establishes the "Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program" which authorizes electronic vouchers to be issued to participating dealers (Sec. 2). -Grants a $3,500 voucher for trading in an old vehicle for a passenger vehicle with at least 4 miles per gallon more, a non-passenger truck with at least 2 miles per gallon more, or a large van or pickup truck with at least 1 mile per gallon more fuel economy than the vehicle being traded in (Sec. 2). -Grants a $4,500 voucher for trading in an old vehicle for a passenger vehicle with at least 10 miles per gallon more, a non-passenger truck with at least 5 miles per gallon more, or a large van or pickup truck with at least 2 miles per gallon more fuel economy than the vehicle being traded in (Sec. 2). -Requires that dealers who participate in the program do not sell, lease, or exchange the traded in vehicle and will ensure the vehicle gets crushed or shredded (Sec. 2). -Defines an eligible trade-in vehicle as an automobile or work truck manufactured after 1984 that is still in drivable condition, has been owned by the same person and insured for at least one year and has a combined fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less (Sec. 2). -Requires the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make information available to the public about how to determine if a trade-in vehicle is eligible for a voucher, how to participate in the program, and a list of new fuel efficient vehicles that meet the requirements of the program (Sec. 2). -This bill was amended into the final version of HR 2346.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (233/193)

Summary: -Recommends the following new budget authorities for specific categories in fiscal years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 (Sec. 104): -$3.52 trillion for National Defense -$3.02 trillion for Medicare -$2.93 trillion for Income Security -$2.28 trillion for Health -$656 billion for Veterans Benefits and Services -$572 billion for Transportation -$164 billion for Social Security -Requires the Senate Committees on Finance and on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to report legislative changes that reduce the deficit by $1 trillion in each of their jurisdictions for fiscal year 2009 through fiscal year 2014 (Sec. 201). -Requires the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, on Ways and Means, and on Education and Labor to report legislative changes that reduce the deficit by $1 trillion in each of their jurisdictions for fiscal year 2009 through fiscal year 2014 (Sec. 202). -Provides Senate and House reserve funds for legislation that would fund health care reform (Sec. 301, 321). -Provides House reserve funds for legislation that would fund renewable energy projects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Sec. 323). -Provides Senate and House reserve funds for legislation that would make higher education more accessible and affordable through student financial aid (Sec. 303, 322). -Provides Senate reserve funds for legislation promoting economic growth through manufacturing, tax reform and housing and unemployment assistance (Sec.306). -Sets Senate discretionary spending limits for fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year 2010 of $1.4 trillion and $1.08 trillion in new budget authorities, respectively (Sec. 401). -Mandates that all committees in the Senate conduct performance reviews of all government programs in their respective jurisdictions, and provide annual recommendations for improvements (Sec. 411). -Mandates that all committees in the House conduct oversight hearings on all aspects of Federal spending and Government operations, and to make recommendations that may reduce the deficit (Sec. 425). -States that Congress supports the extension of $1.75 trillion in tax relief for families defined as middle class, and that such relief may be paid for through higher rates of tax compliance and tax simplification (Sec. 501). -States that Congress supports improved health care for war veterans (Sec. 502, 601).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2009) HR 1913 Hate Crimes Expansion

Outcome: Bill Passed (249/175)

Summary: -Expands definition of a hate crime to include felonies motivated by prejudice based on national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity of the victim (Secs. 3, 6). -Allows federal law enforcement to assist state, local, or tribal governments in the investigation or prosecution of any hate crime (Sec. 3). -Establishes grants for state, local, or tribal enforcement of hate crime laws (Secs. 3, 4).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (275/149)

Summary: -Authorizes funding to promote, operate, and expand service-learning programs in elementary and secondary schools through training, curriculum development, program assessment methods, and community outreach (Sec. 1201). -Allows the Secretary of Education to designate up to 25 Campuses of Service, or institutions of higher education where service-learning is an important component of the curriculum to receive a government award to develop or disseminate service-learning models (Sec. 1203). -Establishes Youth Engagement Zones to involve middle and high school students in community service, including Summer of Service programs (Sec. 1204). -Expands AmeriCorps openings over 8 years, allowing for up to 250,000 AmeriCorps volunteers by fiscal year 2017 (Sec. 1301). -Establishes the Education Corps to improve schools, the Healthy Futures Corps to serve unmet health needs within communities, the Clean Energy Corps to work on energy projects, the Veterans Corps to work with veterans and their families, and the Opportunity Corps to work with the economically disadvantaged (Sec. 1302). -Raises the amount of the full-time national service educational award to the maximum amount of a Federal Pell Grant (Sec. 1404). -Aims to increase the percentage of disadvantaged youths in the National Civilian Community Corps to over 50 percent by 2012 (Sec. 1503). -Expands the National Civilian Community Corps' mission to include projects on energy conservation, environmental stewardship or conservation, infrastructure improvement, urban and rural development, or disaster preparedness needs (Sec. 1506). -Establishes the Serve America Fellowship to assist with areas of national need, as determined by the State Commissions on National and Community Service (Sec. 1805, 1606). -Establishes Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships and expands the Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program Grants, and the National Senior Service Corps to encourage community or national service among citizens age 55 and older (Secs. 1805, 2142, 2143, 2144, 2145). -Establishes the Social Innovation Fund, National Service Programs Clearinghouses, and Volunteer Generation Fund to help local groups train, develop, and maintain volunteers (Secs. 1807, 1808).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (285/140)

Summary: -Adds land to wilderness areas in 9 states under the National Wilderness Preservation System (Title I). -Affirms that no provision of this act may be used to close public lands to recreational use by the public (Title II). -Authorizes $1 million to provide grants to states and Indian tribes to compensate ranchers for livestock killed by wolves and to assist with non-lethal methods to reduce wolf attacks (Title VI, Subtitle C). -Grants the state of Alaska 1,806 acres of federal land to construct an emergency access road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in exchange for 43,093 acres of non-federal land (Title VI, Subtitle E). -Authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to study and construct specific water projects (Title IX, Subtitle A). -Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to carry out water settlements agreed to in court and creates the Reclamation Water Settlements Management Fund (Title X). -Authorizes appropriations for ocean research, exploration, and conservation (Title XII). -Expands funding for paralysis treatment (Title XIV).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 1586 TARP Recipient Bonuses Tax

Outcome: Bill Passed (328/93)

Summary: -Taxes 90% of TARP bonuses received by a taxpayer (Sec. 1). -Defines a TARP bonuses as the lesser of retention payments, incentive payments, and other bonuses which are in addition to regular pay or adjusted gross income over 250,000 dollars for an individual filer, or income over 125,000 dollars (Sec. 1). -Only applies the tax to people who received more than $5 billion under TARP, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association, and any related members or partners (Sec. 1).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion

Outcome: Bill Passed (321/105)

Summary: -Authorizes funding to promote, operate, and expand service-learning programs in elementary and secondary schools through training, curriculum development, program assessment methods, and community outreach (Sec. 1201). -Allows the Secretary of Education to designate up to 25 Campuses of Service, or institutions of higher education where service-learning is an important component of the curriculum, to receive a government award to develop or disseminate service-learning models (Sec. 1202). -Establishes Youth Engagement Zones to involve middle and high school students in community service, including Summer of Service programs (Sec. 1203). -Establishes the Education Corps to improve schools, the Healthy Futures Corps to serve unmet health needs within communities, the Clean Energy Corps to address environmental needs, the Veterans Corps to work with veterans and their families, and the Opportunity Corps to work with the economically disadvantaged (Sec. 1302). -Aims to increase the percentage of disadvantaged youths in the National Civilian Community Corps to over 50% by 2012 (Sec. 1503). -Expands the National Civilian Community Corps' mission to include projects on energy conservation, environmental conservation, infrastructure improvement, urban and rural development, or disaster preparedness needs (Sec. 1506). -Establishes State Commissions on National and Community Service to determine local need for community service programs (Sec. 1605). -Creates a study of the E-Verify system to determine citizenship status (Sec. 1710). -Establishes the Serve America Fellowship to assist with areas of national need, as determined by the State Commissions on National and Community Service (Sec. 1803). -Establishes Silver Scholarships and expands the National Senior Service Corps to encourage community or national service among citizens 55 and older (Secs. 1803, 2203). -Establishes the Innovative and Model Program Support, Social Innovation Fund and Volunteer Generation Fund to support non-profit, faith based and civic programs (Secs. 1803, 1822).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009

Outcome: Bill Failed (282/144)

Summary: -Designates land in 9 states as potential wilderness areas (Title I). -Grants the state of Alaska a seven-mile easement for constructing a single-lane airport access road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in exchange for the transfer of 43,093 acres of state-owned land to the federal wildlife refuge system (Title VI, Subtitle E). -Expands the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (Title V, Subtitle A). -Adds to the National Trails System (Title V, Subtitle C). -Authorizes $1 million to provide grants to states and Indian tribes to compensate ranchers for livestock killed by wolves and to assist non-lethal methods to reduce wolf attacks (Title VI, Subtitle F). -Allows for the preservation of former President William Jefferson Clintons childhood home as a National Historic Site (Title VII, Subtitle A, Sec. 7002). -Authorizes appropriations for projects to improve water management and conservation (Title IX and Secs. 10101, 10202 of Title X).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy

Outcome: Bill Passed (234/191)

Summary: -Grants bankruptcy court judges the authority to reduce interest rates or extend the repayment period up to 40 years for mortgages (Sec. 103). -Requires homeowners who receive assistance under this act and sell their home within the first year for a profit to pay their lender up to 90 percent of the difference between the sales price and the amount due under their original mortgage (Sec. 103). -Prohibits aid to homeowners who are able to meet their original or modified mortgage payments without assistance or who obtained credit through actual fraud (Sec. 105). -Amends standards for participation in the HOPE for Homeowners Program by excluding borrowers who intentionally defaulted on their mortgage, who have been convicted of fraud or those who earn more than $1 million (Sec. 202). -Raises FDIC depositor insurance to permanently cover $250,000 instead of $100,000 of each deposit at participating institutions (Sec. 204). -Establishes a Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Task Force to investigate mortgage fraud in and aid enforcement of mortgage fraud laws (Sec. 302).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 1105 2009 Budget Bill

Outcome: Bill Passed (245/178)

Summary: -Prohibits funds from being used for programs that would allow Mexican shipping vehicles beyond the commercial zones currently established along the US-Mexican border (Division I, Title I, Sec. 136). -Prohibits funds from being used to prevent voluntary prayer or meditation in schools (Division F, Title III, Sec. 303). -Prohibits funds from being used for abortions, unless the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, or the woman's life is at risk as a result of the pregnancy. -Prohibits funds from being used for the creation of human embryos for research purposes (Division F, Title V, Sec. 509). -Allows up to 7,500 Afghan citizens who were previously employed by the US government to be granted special immigrant visas between the years of 2009 and 2013 (Division F, Title VI, Sec. 602). -Appropriates $17.5 billion for international economic assistance, including $7.1 billion for global health programs, as long as no funding is used for programs practicing or promoting involuntary abortions or sterilization, or to pay for abortions as a method of family planning (Division H, Title III). -Prohibits funds from being used to encourage the relocation of jobs from within the United States to another country or to provide assistance to any program that violates workers' rights (Division H, Title VII, Sec. 7029). -Prohibits funds from being used to support a Palestinian state unless the governing entity of the Palestinian state has shown a commitment to peace in the Middle East, including a peaceful co-existence with Israel (Division H, Title VII Sec. 7036). -Appropriates $5.15 billion for the Department of Transportation, including funding for federal-aid highway projects and public transportation (Division I, Title I). -Appropriates $41.8 billion for housing and urban development, including $23.92 billion for rental housing assistance programs, $1.68 billion for programs that provide services to the homeless, and funding for mortgage loans (Division I, Title II). -Appropriates $9.38 billion for rural development programs, including $8.26 billion for the rural housing insurance fund (Division A, Title III). -Appropriates $72.47 billion for the Department of Energy, including funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy, nuclear energy, clean coal technology, and innovative technology guaranteed loans (Division C, Title III).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill")

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (246/183)

Summary: -Allows an income tax credit of up to $400 for individuals with an adjusted gross income of less than $70,000 or $800 for joint returns for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of less than $140,000 (Div. B, Sec. 1001). -Rescinds taxes on up to $2,400 of unemployment benefits (Division B, Sec. 1007). -Extends the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act to December 31, 2009 and increases benefits by $25 per week (Division B, Sec. 2001, 2002). -Provides COBRA assistance for coverage beginning after the enactment of this bill of up to 35 percent of the premium amount (Div. B, 3001). -Increases the credit percentage for taxpayers with three or more children to 45 percent and reduces the marriage tax by changing the formula for the amount of credit allowed (Div. B, Sec. 1002). -Extends the first-time homebuyer's tax credit to December 1, 2009 and increases the maximum amount of the tax credit to $8,000 or $4,000 for married individuals filing separately (Div. B, Sec. 1006). -Extends tax credits for electricity produced from wind facilities until 2013, and from other renewable resource facilities such as biomass, geothermal, solar energy, landfill gas, trash combustion, and qualified hydropower facilities until 2014 (Div. B, Sec. 1101). -Establishes the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board to oversee appropriated funds and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse (Div. A, Title XV). -Establishes the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to allow for the electronic use and exchange of information that secures and protects patient health information, improves health care quality, reduces medical errors and health disparities, reduces costs from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate or duplicate care, and incomplete information, and improves coordination of care between hospitals, laboratories, and physician offices (Div. A, Title XIII). -Increases the Hope Scholarship credit by making up to $2,000 of education expenses deductible, plus 25% of such expenses that exceed $2,000 but not $4,000 dollars (Div. B, Sec. 1004). -Grants qualified school construction bonds for up to $11 billion in 2009 and $11 billion in 2010 (Div. B, Sec. 1521). -Requires states to periodically verify if documented immigrants receiving benefits still maintain legal immigrant status (Div. B, Sec. 1853). -Appropriates $4.7 billion for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (Div. A, Titles II). -Appropriates $650 million to extend the digital to analog converter box program (Div. A, Title II). -Appropriates $16.8 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy (Div. A, Title IV). -Appropriates $100 million for border security, fencing, infrastructure and technology (Div. A, Title VI). -Appropriates $13 billion for education of the disadvantaged, $12.2 billion for special education, and $15.84 billion for student financial assistance, including Pell Grants (Div. A, Title VIII). -Appropriates $27.5 billion for highway, rail, and port infrastructure construction and repair (Div. A, Title XII).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill")

Outcome: Bill Passed (244/188)

Summary: -Allows an income tax credit of up to $500 for individuals with an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 or $1,000 for joint returns for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of less than $150,000 (Division B, Sec. 1001). -Requires projects funded by this bill to use only iron and steel produced in the United States, unless it is inconsistent with public interest, there are insufficient quantities produced in the United States, or it would increase the cost of the overall project by over 25 percent (Division A, Sec. 1110). -Increases the credit percentage for taxpayers with three or more children to 45 percent and reduces the marriage tax by changing the formula for the amount of credit allowed (Division B, Sec. 1101). -Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being used to enter into contracts with businesses that do not participate in the E-verify program for their employees (Division A, Sec. 1114). -Increases the Hope Scholarship credit to allow a 100% deduction for the first $2000 spent on tuition and related expenses and a 25% deduction for another $4000 (Division B, Sec. 1201). -Grants qualified school construction bonds for up to $11 billion in 2009 and $11 billion for 2010 (Division B, Sec. 1511). -Extends tax credits for electricity produced from wind facilities until 2013, and from other renewable resource facilities such as biomass, geothermal, solar energy, landfill gas, trash combustion, and qualified hydropower facilities until 2014 (Division B, Sec. 1601). -Extends the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act to December 31, 2009 (Division B, Sec. 2001). -Provides COBRA assistance for coverage beginning after the enactment of this bill of up to 35 percent of the premium amount (Division B, Sec. 3002). -Allows temporary Medicaid coverage for individuals who currently receive unemployment benefits or who were receiving but have exhausted unemployment benefits on or after July 1, 2008 (Division B, Sec. 3003). -Establishes the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to allow for the electronic use and exchange of information that secures and protects patient health information, improves health care quality, reduces medical errors and health disparities, reduces costs from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate or duplicate care, and incomplete information, and improves coordination of care between hospitals, laboratories, and physician offices (Division B, Title IV). -Establishes the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to develop a broadband map of the United States to identify the availability of broadband service from commercial or public providers in each state (Division B, Sec. 6001). -Authorizes grants for any non-recurring costs related to building broadband infrastructure (Division B, Sec. 6002). -Provides financial assistance of up to 50 percent of costs for electric "smart grid" system demonstration projects to increase reliability, security, and efficiency while meeting future growth demands of energy (Division B, Sec. 7002). -Expands the definition of low income families eligible for weatherization assistance to include families whose income is 200 percent of the poverty level and increases the assistance per household from $2,500 to $5,000 (Division B, Sec. 7004). -Appropriates $67.79 billion for the Department of Education, including $1.34 billion for Pell Grant funding (Division A, Title IX).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) H J Res 3 Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act

Outcome: Joint Resolution Passed (270/155)

Summary:

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 384 Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program

Outcome: Bill Passed (260/166)

Summary: -Increases reporting requirements and procedures for companies receiving TARP assistance in order to better determine how the funding was used (Sec. 101, 103). -Restricts the structure and compensation of executive boards of companies using TARP assistance (Sec. 102). -Makes TARP funding available to small community financial institutions designated as S-corporations and C-corporations (Sec. 105). -Establishes the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion to ensure women and minorities are included in TARP companies (Sec. 107). -Provides at least $100 billion for foreclosure mitigation, unless the Secretary of the Treasure deems the need to be lower, in which case the amount needs to be at least $40 billion and reasons for a lower estimate must be reported to Congress (Sec. 201). -Recommends up to a 9 month moratorium on foreclosure proceedings and uses the HOPE for Homeowners Program to mitigate foreclosures on affordable housing (Sec. 207, 208). -Extends and restructures bridge loan for automotive companies (Sec. 302). -Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to establish or support the availability of consumer loans, municipal securities, commercial real estate loans, small business loans, commercial loans, and automobile fleet purchase loans (Sec. 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406). -Establishes low interest loans as a "home buyer stimulus program" through the HOPE for Homeowners Program (Sec. 601). - Increases the amount of money insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) from 100,000 to 250,000 (Sec. 701).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2009) HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion

Outcome: Bill Passed (289/139)

Summary: -Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance under CHIP for pregnant women whose income is at least 185 percent of their state's poverty level or at least 200 percent of the poverty level for children under 19 years of age (Sec. 111). -Phases out coverage of non-pregnant childless adults by prohibiting the approval or renewal of waivers after September 30, 2009, unless a state requests a one year extension (Sec. 112). -Limits the matching rate given to states that cover children whose family income exceeds 300% of the poverty line (Sec. 114). -Expands coverage to children of legal immigrants and pregnant legal immigrants (Sec. 211). -Increases the federal excise taxes on tobacco products, including raising the cigarette tax by $0.61 to $1 per pack, in order to fund CHIP (Sec. 701).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 7321 Automotive Industry Financing

Outcome: Bill Passed (237/170)

Summary: -Requires the President to designate one or more officials ("Car Czars") to be overseen by the Comptroller General in order to assess auto manufacturers' recovery plans and approve bridge loans (Secs. 3-4). -Allocates $14 billion for bridge loans and long-term restructuring loans to American auto companies that submitted recovery plans to the government by December 2, 2008 (Secs. 4, 10). -Requires participating auto manufacturers to submit a final restructuring plan to the President's designee by March 31, 2009, unless the designee chooses to postpone the deadline until April 30, 2009 (Sec. 6). -Specifies that bridge loans to a manufacturer will only be approved if the submitted restructuring plan will allow for repayment of all government loans, produce more efficient vehicles, rationalize costs, raise private capital, and manufacture a product line that will be competitive in the U.S. market (Sec. 6). -Transfers $7.01 billion from funds previously appropriated to the Department of Energy for direct loans to auto manufacturers producing advanced technology vehicles, and reserves $5000 million for tax incentives to produce efficient, low-emissions vehicles (Sec. 10). -Authorizes the President's designee to inspect all records of an auto manufacturer receiving government loans, to review and prohibit any business transaction valued at greater than $100 million, and to cancel financial assistance or require more rapid repayment of loans if participating manufacturers fail to meet the requirements of this act (Sec. 11). -Prohibits obligations from government financial assistance to auto manufacturers from being discharged due to bankruptcy under Title 11 of United States Code (Sec. 12). -Imposes limits on bonuses and incentive payments to the 25 most highly compensated executives in each participating company (Sec. 12). -Halts payment of dividends during the period that the government's loan is outstanding (Sec. 12).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (263/171)

Summary: -Establishes the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to allow the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase troubled assets from any financial institution (Div. A, Sec. 101). -Sets the initial authority for purchasing troubled assets at $250 billion, allows for the President to extend the authority up to $350 billion, and allows for an extension of up to $700 billion with both Congressional and Presidential approval (Div. A, Sec. 115). -Requires that any financial institution that has assets directly purchased by the Treasury have limits placed on executive compensation for the five highest paid employees, and allows for the government to recover compensation garnered through false earning statements and prohibits any "golden parachute" payments (Div. A, Sec. 111). -Increases the limitation for the total public debt by $700 billion, for a total of $11.32 trillion, and requires that proceeds from sales of troubled assets under this bill be used to make payments on the national debt (Div. A, Secs. 106, 122). -States that if mortgages or other assets secured by residential real estate are purchased by the Treasury, the Secretary of the Treasury must encourage use of the HOPE for Homeowners program. Also requires the Treasury Department to work with the Federal Housing Finance Agency and other agencies in order to improve the loan modification and restructuring process and reduce foreclosures (Div. A, Sec. 109). -Terminates the Treasury's authority to purchase or insure troubled assets on December 31, 2009 unless the Secretary of the Treasury submits a certified extension to Congress (Div. A, Sec. 120). -Extends tax credits for wind facilities and refined coal production facilities until January 1, 2010, extends tax credits for closed- and open-loop biomass facilities, geothermal or solar energy facilities, small irrigation power facilities, landfill gas facilities, trash combustion facilities, and qualified hydropower facilities until January 1, 2011, and applies this production credit to marine and hydrokinetic energy facilities until January 1, 2012 (Div. B, Secs. 101, 102). -Extends the energy credit for solar energy properties, fuel cell properties, and microturbine properties through the 2016 calendar year (Div. B, Sec. 103). -Provides a tax credit of $2,500 to $15,000 for the purchase of plug-in electric vehicles (Div. B, Sec. 205). -Provides tax benefits for areas in the Midwest affected by flooding and storms, and for parts of Texas and Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ike (Div. C, Sec. 702, 704). -States that group health insurance plans offering mental health and substance abuse treatment must offer such coverage with financial requirements and treatment limitations that are no more restrictive than those associated with the medical and surgical coverage provided by the plan (Div. C, Sec. 512). -Extends the business research credit through the 2009 calendar year (Div. C, Sec. 301). -Extends tax deductions for qualified tuition expenses and for school-related expenses for elementary and secondary school teachers until through the 2009 calendar year (Div. C, Secs. 202, 203). -Reduces the tax deduction available for income from the domestic production of oil and gas (Div. B, Sec. 401). -Increases the amount of income exempt from the alternative minimum tax from $66,250 to $69,950 for a joint return or surviving spouse, and from $44,350 to $46,200 for an individual return (Div. C, Sec. 102). -Extends the 6.2 percent Federal Unemployment Tax Act surtax that employers pay with respect to individual employees through 2009 (Div. B, Sec. 404). -Extends the deadline for qualified individuals of 70 1/2 years of age or older to make tax-free charitable donations totaling up to $100,000 from individual retirement plans from December 31, 2007 to December 31, 2009 (Div. C, Sec. 205). -Note: The initial House passage of this bill (Roll 101 on March 5, 2008) did not include the economic package. At that time the bill focused on insurance coverage of mental illness and addiction, and employer and insurance practices involving genetic information. Senate vote 213 and House vote 681 contained the economic package.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation

Outcome: Bill Passed (368/28)

Summary: - Allows an individual who has no rights to federal or state regular unemployment compensation, or who has exhausted his or her rights to federal or state regular compensation, to receive the lesser of 80 percent (up from 50 percent) of the amount of his or her regular yearly compensation or 20 times (up from 13 times) his or her average weekly benefit amount (Sec. 2). - Provides additional extended emergency unemployment compensation in an amount equal to the lesser of 50 percent of the individual's regular yearly compensation or 13 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount in states that are in an extended benefit period, as defined by the unemployment rates (Sec. 3).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 3997 Financial Asset Purchase Authority

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Failed (205/228)

Summary: - Establishes the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to allow the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase troubled assets from any financial institution (Sec. 101). - Sets an initial authority for purchasing troubled assets at $250 billion, extends the authority to $350 billion if the President submits a written certification to Congress stating that the Secretary of the Treasury needs additional authority, and further extends the authority to $700 billion if the President submits a written report detailing the plans of the Secretary unless Congress passes a joint resolution to deny the expansion of authority (Sec. 115). - Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to sell, or enter into securities loans, repurchase transactions, or other financial transactions in regard to, any troubled asset purchased by the Secretary upon terms, conditions, and prices determined by the Secretary (Sec. 106). - Requires that, if the Treasury buys troubled assets directly, there must be limits on compensation to exclude incentives for senior executives of a financial institution to take risks that may threaten the value of the institution while the Secretary of the Treasury holds an equity or debt position with the institution, provisions to recover any bonus compensation paid to senior executives based on statements of earnings proven to be false, and a prohibition on any "golden parachute" payments to senior executives while the Secretary holds any equity or debt in the institution (Sec. 111). - Increases the limitation for the total public debt by $700 billion, for a total of $11.32 trillion (Sec. 122). - Requires revenues from the sale of troubled assets purchased under this act to be used to make payments on the national debt (Sec. 106). - States that if mortgages or other assets secured by residential real estate are purchased by the Treasury, the Secretary of the Treasury must encourage use of the HOPE for Homeowners program and work with the Federal Housing Finance Agency and other agencies in order to improve the loan modification and restructuring process and reduce foreclosures (Sec. 109). - Terminates the Treasury's authority to purchase or insure troubled assets on December 31, 2009 (Sec. 120).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits

Outcome: Bill Passed (257/166)

Summary: - Extends tax credits for wind facilities until January 1, 2010, and credits for qualified biomass, geothermal or solar, small irrigation power, landfill gas, trash combustion, hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities until October 1, 2011 (Sec. 101, 102). - Extends residential energy efficient property credits for solar electric, solar water heating, and fuel cell property expenditures until December 31, 2016 (Sec. 104). - Extends the residential energy efficient property credit allowable against the alternative minimum tax to the taxable year starting in 2007 (Sec. 104). - Reduces the maximum income tax deduction allowed for domestic production of oil and gas (Sec. 401). - Extends the business research credit through December 31, 2009 (Sec. 221). - Extends tax deductions for college tuition payments through the taxable year ending December 31, 2009 (Sec. 202). - Allows a base credit of $3,000 for plug-in electric motor vehicles, with up to an additional $2,000 for vehicles drawing propulsion energy from a battery of 5 or more kilowatt hours of capacity (Sec. 124). - Encourages bicycle commuting by allowing tax-free reimbursements to cover expenses such as the purchase of a bicycle and maintenance if the bicycle is regularly used to travel between the employee's residence and place of employment (Sec. 126). - Extends the Federal Unemployment Tax Act surtax that employers pay with respect to individuals they employ through 2010 (Sec. 404). - Extends tax credits for solar energy property until January 1, 2017 and credits for fuel cell and microturbine property until December 31, 2016 (Sec. 103).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (370/58)

Summary: -Appropriates funds necessary to continue until March 6, 2009 projects or activities that were conducted in fiscal year 2008 and for which funds or other authority were made available in divisions A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (HR 2764) at the same rate for operations provided in those divisions of that Act, with the exception of some minor changes (Div. A, Sec. 101). -Appropriates $22.88 billion for disaster relief and recovery, $480.25 billion for the Department of Defense, $43.48 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, and $119.92 billion for military construction and veterans affairs (Divs. B-E). -Specifies that the funds appropriated in this act are not subject to a prohibition on use for offshore oil and natural gas preleasing and leasing (Div. A, Sec. 152). -Maintains funding levels at $7.51 billion for 2009 to fund loans of up to $25 billion in total principal for automobile manufacturers and component suppliers to pay for up to 30 percent of the cost of equipping themselves to produce vehicles or components which meet specified emissions and fuel economy standards (Div. A, Sec. 129). -Appropriates $5.1 billion for low-income home energy assistance instead of the previous amount of $2.6 billion (Div. A, Sec. 155).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) S 3001 Defense Authorizations Bill

Outcome: Bill Passed (392/39)

Summary: - Authorizes $67.54 million for the construction of the Ballistic Missile Defense, European Mid-Course Radar site (sec. 2401). - Provides for a 3.9 percent raise in base pay for all military personnel instead of the annual pay raise based on the Employment Cost Index (sec. 601). - Increases the mandatory retirement age of reserve commissioned officers from 60 to 62 (sec. 514). - Increases the maximum period of reenlistment for members of the armed forces from six years to eight years, with the exception of members who have served at least ten years and reenlist for an unspecified period (sec. 531). - Prohibits any officer or employee of the Department of Defense from interfering with the ability of the Legal Counsel to give independent legal advice to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (sec. 591). - Requires the president to report to Congress on the status of forces agreements between the United States and Iraq (sec. 1212). - Requires the president to establish and implement a strategy for United States-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams to develop the capacity of the Iraqi government and civilian institutions to assume increasing responsibility for reconstruction (sec. 1213).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits

Outcome: Bill Passed (236/189)

Summary: - Opens areas for oil and gas leasing that were previously part of Outer Continental Shelf Planning Areas and located more than 50 miles from the coastline, as long as states with boundaries within 100 miles of a proposed site agree to the lease (Secs. 102, 103). - Prohibits public officials in the Minerals Management Division of the Department of the Interior from receiving any gift "of value" from oil or gas corporation employees, imposes a prison sentence of up to two years for any persons giving or accepting such gifts, and allows for a civil penalty of up to $25 million, in addition to an amount equal to gross revenues accrued during the period in which the violation occurred for any oil or gas corporation responsible for offering gifts (Sec. 144). - Requires retail energy suppliers to generate at least 15 percent of their energy from renewable resources by 2020 or by credits equal to that amount (Sec. 501). - Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to aid in the construction of new oil and natural gas pipelines from the National Petroleum Reserve to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the North Slope in Alaska (Sec. 163). - Bans the export of domestic crude oil to neighboring countries for refining unless an equal amount is sent from that country to the United States (Sec. 166). - Updates national model building energy codes to require at least 50 percent energy savings for residential and commercial buildings in each code by 2020 (Sec. 401). - Requires every gas station owned by major oil companies to have at least one alternative fuel pump by January 1, 2018, which dispenses natural gas, fuel that contains at least 85 percent ethanol, a mixture containing at least 20 percent biodiesel or renewable diesel, or hydrogen (Sec. 701). - Encourages bicycle commuting by allowing tax-free reimbursements to cover expenses such as the purchase of a bicycle and maintenance if the bicycle is regularly used to travel between the employee's residence and place of employment (Sec. 827). - Prohibits the oil or gas leasing of an area in the Outer Continental Shelf that was not available before July 1, 2008, or was not authorized in this bill (Sec. 101). - Requires 70 million barrels of light crude petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to be sold within six months of this bill's enactment, which would be replaced with an equal amount of heavy crude petroleum within five years, as long as selling the barrels will not result in a total of less than 90 percent of the current amount in the Reserve (Sec. 203).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (380/49)

Summary: -Requires the Secretary of Education to make available online a list of the most expensive and least expensive colleges on a website, along with a list of the colleges that have had the largest increases in tuition and fee rates over a three year period (Sec. 111). -Requires the colleges with the largest increases in tuition and fee rates to submit a report describing the causes of these increases and a description of how the institution will try to reduce costs (Sec. 111). -Requires textbook publishers to disclose the retail cost of textbooks or supplemental materials, copyright dates of any previous editions, a description of the substantial content revisions, and whether any other format is available when college faculty select course materials (Sec. 112). -Requires textbook publishers that bundle textbooks and supplemental materials to also sell them separately (Sec. 112). -Requires colleges and institution-affiliated organizations that participate in a preferred lender arrangement to disclose the maximum amount of Federal grant and loan aid available to students on the organization's website (Sec. 120). -Establishes federal grants to cover 50 percent of costs for colleges related to implementing emergency systems to notify the campus community of a significant emergency or dangerous situation through cellular, text message, or other advanced communication, and to develop procedures for the community to follow in case of an emergency or dangerous situation (Sec. 802). -Requires colleges with on-campus student housing facilities to publish an annual fire safety report disclosing the number of fires and the cause of each fire, the number of injuries related to a fire that result in treatment at a medical facility, the number of deaths related to a fire, and the value of property damage caused by a fire (Sec. 488). -Requires colleges to disclose the report on disciplinary proceedings conducted against an alleged perpetrator of any violent crime or a nonforcible sex offense to the alleged victim upon written request (Sec. 493). -Prohibits private educational lenders from engaging in revenue sharing with a covered college and from directly or indirectly offering gifts to a college in exchange for any advantage or consideration related to its private education loan activities (Sec. 1011). -Expands federal Pell Grants to allow awards of up to two grants for students taking more than two semesters or the equivalent each year (Sec. 401). -Raises the maximum Pell grant from $5,800 to $8,000 per academic year by 2014 (Sec. 401).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (303/115)

Summary: -Establishes a plan to prevent 12 million new HIV infections worldwide, provide support care for 12 million who are already infected with HIV/AIDS including 5 million orphans and children, and help countries reach 80 percent of the targeted group with counseling, testing, and treatment (Sec. 101). -Allows individuals with AIDS to receive a visa to travel into the United States (Sec. 305). -Provides assistance for counseling, testing, and treatment to prevent the transmission of HIV among men who have sex with men and by providing male and female condoms (Sec. 301). -Requires "balanced funding" for sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS prevention (Sec. 403). -Requires the HIV/AIDS Response Coordinator in the U.S. Department of State to work with host countries to link HIV/AIDS programs with programs to deter prostitution and human trafficking (Sec. 102). -Adds Vietnam to the list of countries that are guaranteed funding under the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (Sec. 102). -States that if host countries use less than 50 percent of their AIDS targeted funding for behavioral change programs (such as abstinence, monogamy, and partner reduction), the Coordinator of U.S. Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally must file a report justifying this decision (Sec. 403). -Provides additional nutritional support, health care, and safe drinking water assistance to individuals with HIV/AIDS (Sec. 301). -Provides that $5 billion of the funding authorized in this bill shall be for combating malaria and $4 billion shall be for combating tuberculosis (Sec. 302, 303). -Provides that assistance shall be given to postsecondary institutions in host countries to improve their health infrastructure, with collaboration from historically black colleges and universities in the United States (Sec. 204). -Provides that organizations receiving assistance to combat HIV/AIDS are not required to engage in programs or methods that they find religiously or morally objectionable (Sec. 301). -Establishes the Emergency Fund for Indian Safety and Health and allocates $2 billion to it for the 5-year period beginning in 2008 (Sec. 601).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 3999 National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act

Outcome: Bill Passed (367/55)

Summary: -Provides that all bridges on Federal-aid highways and all highway bridges on public roads must be inventoried in order to identify those bridges that are structurally deficient, determine the cost of replacement of the deficient bridges, and assign a risk-based priority list for replacement or rehabilitation of the deficient bridges (Sec. 2). -Provides that the Secretary of Transportation submit a report describing the process used to assign risk-based priorities to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works no later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this act (Sec. 2). -Requires states to reevaluate bridges at least once every two years (Sec. 2). -Requires that within two years of the enactment of this bill states devise a five-year performance plan to inspect all bridges within the state, to replace or rehabilitate structurally deficient bridges, and to update the plan annually (Sec. 2). -Allows states that have demonstrated that there are no bridges within the state that are eligible for replacement to transfer the funds to other highway projects (Sec. 2). -Authorizes $1 billion for the 2009 fiscal year to carry out the replacement and rehabilitation of structurally deficient bridges on the National Highway System (Sec. 6).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (272/152)

Summary: -Increases the national debt limit from $9.82 trillion to $10.62 trillion (Sec. 3083). -Establishes the Home Ownership Preservation Entity Fund to fund the HOPE (Home Ownership Preservation Entity) for Homeowners Program, which will insure up to $300 billion for 30 year refinanced loans for distressed borrowers between October 1, 2008-September 30, 2011 (Sec. 1402). -Provides that the mortgagor and the Secretary for Housing and Urban Development each receive 50 percent of the appreciation value for each eligible mortgage insured under the HOPE program if changes occur to the property value 5 years after the loan is taken over by HOPE (Sec. 1402). -Allocates $3.92 billion in grants to States and other units of local government to redevelop abandoned and foreclosed property and $180 million to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, given that at least 15 percent of the $180 million be provided to housing counseling organizations that provide services for loss mitigation to minority and low-income homeowners (Sec. 2305). -Establishes a Housing Trust Fund to be used to increase and preserve the supply of rental housing for extremely low and very low-income families (Sec. 1131). -Establishes the Federal Housing Finance Agency, with regulatory authority over Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Banks, and the Office of Finance (Sec. 1101). -Sets conforming loan limitations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at a maximum of $417,000 for a single-family residence up to $801,950 for a 4-family residence, adjusted annually (Sec. 1124). -Raises the limits on the size of the principle mortgage obligation that is eligible for insurance for most homeowners, up to 115 percent of the local area median house price for single-family homes (Sec. 2112). -Increases conforming loan limitations in areas where the average house price is over 115 percent of the housing price index (Sec. 1124). -Increases appropriations under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act from $70 million to $100 million for the fiscal year 2009 (Sec. 2901). -Increases housing benefits for specially adapted houses for disabled veterans from $10,000 to $12,000, with increases each year tied to the residential home cost-of-construction index (Sec. 2605). -Changes the limitation on the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of property owned by service members from 90 days to nine months after their return from military service, and limits their interest rates to 6 percent during service and one year after their return (Sec. 2203). -Provides first-time home buyers with a tax credit of up to $7,500 for residences purchased on or after April 9, 2008, which the homebuyers will repay over fifteen years following their purchase (Sec. 3011). -Expands home ownership counseling eligibility to include people who have a reduction in income due to divorce or death, or who have an increase in expenses due to medical expenses, divorce, unexpected property damages not covered by insurance, or a large property tax increase (Sec. 2127). -Allows a real property tax deduction on the amount of state and local real property taxes paid during the taxable year of up to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for joint returns, applicable to taxable years beginning in 2008 (Sec. 3012).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6532 Restoring the Highway Trust Fund Balance

Outcome: Bill Passed (387/37)

Summary:

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6331 Medicare Bill

Outcome: Veto Override Passed (383/41)

Summary: -Increases annually the amount covered by Medicare of health care costs associated with mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders until 100% of related costs are covered in 2014 (Sec. 102). -Prohibits Medicare Advantage marketing from conducting direct soliciting via telemarketing, door-to-door marketing, in health care settings, at educational activities, and from attempting to sell non-health related products at events related to Medicare Advantage plans (Sec. 103). -Makes available an additional $100 million to aid states in giving assistance to low-income Medicare beneficiaries through September 30, 2008, and makes available a total of $600 million through December 31, 2009 (Sec. 111). -Makes available $48.9 million for low income Medicare subsidies and Medicare Savings Program administrative costs (Sec. 113). -Removes life insurance policy values from being factored into determining an individual’s income eligibility for Medicare low-income subsidies (Sec. 116). -Allocates $7.5 million in federal funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs based on the number of eligible individuals and the number of rural beneficiaries to be used for Medicare and Medicaid services and to implement outreach programs to enroll eligible low-income individuals(Sec. 119). -Authorizes $210 million for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to give grants to states to increase mental health and other health services to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom living in rural areas (Sec. 121). -Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish programs for increasing health care access and quality in rural areas (Sec. 123). -Extends payments to physicians for treating Medicare patients at a higher rate than would otherwise be used until 2010 (Sec. 131). -Delays the beginning of competitive acquisition programs for durable medical supplies until 2011(Sec. 154). -Extends the deadline for Medicare coverage of ambulance services until 2010 (Sec. 146). -Establishes the Medicare Improvement Fund to make improvements to Medicare fee-for-service programs and authorizes $19.9 billion during fiscal years 2014 through 2017 (Sec. 188).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5803 Backup Paper Ballots

Outcome: Bill Failed (248/170)

Summary: -Appropriates $75 million for grants under the backup paper ballots program established in accordance with this bill (Sec. 3).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6052 Public Transportation and Alternative Fuel Grants

Outcome: Bill Passed (322/98)

Summary: -Specifies that grants for projects that involve designing, engineering, constructing, or acquiring property for additional parking facilities at end-of-line fixed guideway stations or at park-and-ride lots that serve commuter bus routes of more than 20 miles in length shall be for 100 percent of the net capital cost unless the recipient requests a lower percentage (Sec. 7).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6275 Alternative Minimum Tax Bill

Outcome: Bill Passed (233/189)

Summary: -Raises the AMT exemption amount for taxpayers other than corporations from $66,250 to $66,950 for an individual filing a joint return or who is a surviving spouse and lowers the AMT from $44,350 to $46,200 for an individual who is not married and is not a surviving spouse, for the taxable years beginning with 2008 (Sec. 101). -Adds receipts from the domestic production, refining, processing, transportation, or distribution of oil and gas or their primary products to the taxable income of major integrated oil companies (Sec. 202). -Increases the penalty for underpayment of tax required in cases of property transferred for investment management services from a fine of 20 percent to 40 percent of the underpayment amount (Sec. 201). -Lowers the domestic production income tax deduction for oil producers that are not major integrated oil companies (Sec. 202). -Prohibits treaties from reducing the withholding tax for payments between members of the same foreign controlled group of entities in certain circumstances (Sec. 203). -Provides that a credit card company's transactions with a payee be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) beginning in the 2011 calendar year if the company had more than 200 total transactions and the total amount reported exceeds $10,000 (Sec. 204). -Decreases the amount for required installment of corporate estimated tax due in 2012 from 106.25 to 100 percent and increases the amount for 2013 from 100.75 to 161.25 percent for corporations with at least $1 billion in assets (Sec. 206).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6331 Medicare Bill

Outcome: Bill Passed (355/59)

Summary: -Increases annually the amount covered by Medicare of health care costs associated with mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders until 100% of related costs are covered in 2014 (Sec. 102). -Prohibits Medicare Advantage marketing from conducting direct soliciting via telemarketing, door-to-door marketing, in health care settings, at educational activities, and from attempting to sell non-health related products at events related to Medicare Advantage plans (Sec. 103). -Makes available an additional $100 million to aid states in giving assistance to low-income Medicare beneficiaries through September 30, 2008, and makes available a total of $600 million through December 31, 2009 (Sec. 111). -Makes available $48.9 million for low income Medicare subsidies and Medicare Savings Program administrative costs (Sec. 113). -Removes life insurance policy values from being factored into determining an individuals income eligibility for Medicare low-income subsidies (Sec. 116). -Allocates $7.5 million in federal funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs based on the number of eligible individuals and the number of rural beneficiaries to be used for Medicare and Medicaid services and to implement outreach programs to enroll eligible low-income individuals(Sec. 119). -Authorizes $210 million for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to give grants to states to increase mental health and other health services to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom living in rural areas (Sec. 121). -Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish programs for increasing health care access and quality in rural areas (Sec. 123). -Extends payments to physicians for treating Medicare patients at a higher rate than would otherwise be used until 2010 (Sec. 131). -Delays the beginning of competitive acquisition programs for durable medical supplies until 2011(Sec. 154). -Extends the deadline for Medicare coverage of ambulance services until 2010 (Sec. 146). -Establishes the Medicare Improvement Fund to make improvements to Medicare fee-for-service programs and authorizes $19.9 billion during fiscal years 2014 through 2017 (Sec. 188).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 2642 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (268/155)

Summary: - Requires the Secretary of Defense to send a report to Congress detailing performance standards and goals with a timetable for the achievement of security, economic, and security force training objectives in Iraq, starting with an initial report to be submitted by December 5, 2008, and updating the report every 90 days thereafter through the end of fiscal year 2009. - Requires the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on the individual transition readiness assessments of security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, starting with an initial report no later than 30 days after enactment of this bill and updating the report every 90 days after the initial submission until October 1, 2009.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 2642 GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (416/12)

Summary: -Appropriates $8.48 billion for natural disaster relief and recovery, including $5.76 billion for construction of flood prevention and protection structures in Louisiana. -Allows an individual with an emergency unemployment compensation to receive either 50 percent of the total regular compensation of an individual's benefit year or 13 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for that year (Sec. 4002). -Allows a veteran who has served an aggregate of 36 months or 30 continuous days of active duty after September 11, 2001 to receive a full scholarship for in-state tuition at a public university, a monthly housing stipend, and a lump sum each term for books and supplies (Sec. 5003). -Provides that members of the Armed Forces who have served at least six years and agree to serve four more may transfer 18 to 36 months of their educational assistance entitlements to their spouse or children (Sec. 5003). -Allows the President to waive sanctions against economic or military assistance to North Korea (Sec. 1405). -Provides $400 million for Mexico and $65 million for Central America to combat drug trafficking (Sec. 1406-1407).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6124 Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill)

Outcome: Veto Override Passed (317/109)

Summary: -Grants $37 million in technical assistance to specialty crop producers (Sec. 3203). -Prohibits persons with adjusted gross non-farm income of over $500,000 or adjusted gross farm income of over $750,000 from receiving certain types of subsidies (Sec. 1604). -Reauthorizes the Federal Food and Nutrition Program, the Commodity Distribution Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects through 2012 (Sec. 4406). -Establishes a table of market assistance loan rates for 19 commodities including corn, wheat, barley, oats, and soybeans (Sec. 1202). -Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to spend $991 million during 2008-2012 (and $206 million each subsequent fiscal year) for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, and nuts for nutritious foods in domestic nutrition assistance programs and an additional $250 million during 2008-2012 for fruits and vegetables for schools (Sec. 4404). -Establishes a mandatory labeling of countries of origin for goat meat, chicken, ginseng, pecans, and macadamia nuts, and changes the designation criteria for United States country of origin labeling and allows multiple countries to be listed on labels for beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and goat meat (Sec. 11002). -Supports the price of dairy products by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to buy cheddar cheese, butter, and nonfat dry milk made from milk produced in the United States (Sec. 1501). -Extends the Dairy Export Incentive Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program, and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program through 2012 (Secs. 1503, 1505, 1507). -Lowers the income tax credit for ethanol producers during 2009 and 2010 for a blender amount from 51 cents to 45 cents and for a low-proof blender amount from 37.78 cents to 33.33 cents (Sec. 15331). -Extends the alcohol fuels credit to cellulosic biofuel (Sec. 15321). -Establishes the Biomass Research and Development Initiative to award grants and financial assistance for the research of biofuels and biobased products (Sec. 9001). -Provides assistance for landowners who have lost non-industrial private forestland due to wildfires, hurricanes, excessive winds, drought, ice storms, blizzards, or floods (Sec. 8203). -Increases loan rates for sugar producers (Sec. 1401). -Offers incentive payments for the production of oil seeds that reduce the need for hydrogenated oil (Sec. 1605). -Extends the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program through the 2012 fiscal year (Secs. 2101, 2203). -Renames the Food Stamp Program to the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" and replaces coupons used for the Food Stamp Program with electronic benefit transfer cards (EBTs) which can be used at any retail food store (Secs. 4001 and 4115). -Requires pilot programs to reduce obesity in the United States (Sec. 4141). -Authorizes $25 million for each fiscal year from 2008 through 2012 for loans to broadband internet service providers in rural areas that currently have two or fewer providers in the area and have at least 25 percent of the area serviced by not more than one provider (Sec. 6110). -Eliminates priority status for food aid for countries that demonstrate the potential to become markets for competitively priced U.S. agricultural commodities (Sec. 3005).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008

Outcome: Bill Passed (274/137)

Summary: - Allows individuals who have no rights to federal or state regular unemployment compensation, or who have exhausted their rights to federal or state regular compensation, to receive emergency unemployment compensation for an additional 13 weeks (Sec. 2). - Establishes the weekly benefit amount of emergency unemployment compensation as equal to the amount of regular unemployment compensation during the regular benefit year (Sec. 2). - States that the total emergency benefits received will be equal to the lesser of either 50 percent of the total amount of regular compensation or 13 times the average weekly regular compensation (Sec. 3). - Provides that emergency unemployment compensation shall last an additional 13 weeks, for a total of 26 weeks, for states that are in an extended benefit period, as defined by high unemployment rates (Sec. 3). - States that the federal government shall pay 100 percent of the costs of emergency unemployment to states from the general fund (Sec. 4). - Punishes individuals who receive emergency unemployment compensation under false pretenses with a fine or up to 5 years in prison (Sec. 6).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6003 Amtrak Reauthorization

Outcome: Bill Passed (311/104)

Summary: -Requires the Secretary of Transportation to request competitive proposals for the financing, design, construction, and operation of a high-speed rail system achieving less than 2-hour express service between Washington D.C. and New York City (Sec. 502). -Authorizes $1.5 billion to be used within ten years by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for upkeep and maintenance (Sec. 106). -Authorizes $6.7 billion to be used within 2009 and 2013 for the Northeast Corridor State-of-Good-Repair Plan (Sec. 101). -Authorizes $2.5 billion in capital investment grants to states for increasing ridership and quality of service, mandating that a grant can only pay for up to 80 percent of the project net capital cost (Sec. 301). -Requires the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, and the Surface Transportation Board to assess the rail transportation needs of communities and populations that are not well served by other forms of public transportation (Sec. 207). -Authorizes $60 million to be used within 2009 and 2013 for the study and approval of a new rail tunnel alignment in Baltimore, Maryland (Sec. 104). -Requires the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a study on the use of biofuel blends containing ethanol, methanol, or other additives to power locomotives and other vehicles operating on rail tracks (Sec. 219). -Requires Amtrak to evaluate improvements necessary to make existing stations accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities by February 1, 2009 (Sec. 211).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6028 Assistance for Mexico and Central America for Anti-Drug Programs (Merida Program)

Outcome: Bill Passed (311/106)

Summary: - Assists Mexico in their anti-drug operations by providing equipment and/or training in counternarcotics and countertrafficking; port, airport, and related security; operational technology; and public security and law enforcement (Sec. 113). - Assists Central America in their anti-drug operations by providing equipment and/or training in counternarcotics, countertrafficking and related security, public security and law enforcement (Sec. 213). - Assists Mexico in institution building, rule of law, anti-corruption, increasing transparency in the judicial system, human rights and development (Sec. 123). - Assists Central America in improving police academies, courts management, witness and victim protection programs, prosecutor and judge protection programs, regional juvenile justice reform, prison management, gang member rehabilitation programs, community policing, and the short-term lending of U.S. government personnel to the CICIG (United Nations International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala) (Sec. 222). - Authorizes $1.11 billion for Mexico over a three-year period to help combat drug trafficking and to strengthen Mexican law enforcement (Sec. 115, 124). - Authorizes $405 million for countries in Central America over a three-year period to help combat drug trafficking and to help strengthen law enforcement (Sec. 215, 223).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill)

Outcome: Veto Override Passed (316/108)

Summary: -Prohibits persons with adjusted gross non-farm income of over $500,000 or adjusted gross farm income of over $750,000 from receiving certain types of subsidies (Sec. 1604). -Reauthorizes the Federal Food and Nutrition Program, the Commodity Distribution Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects through 2012 (Sec. 4406). -Establishes a table of market assistance loan rates for 19 commodities including corn, wheat, barley, oats, and soybeans (Sec. 1202). -Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to spend $991 million during 2008-2012 - and $206 million each subsequent fiscal year - for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, and nuts for nutritious foods in domestic nutrition assistance programs and an additional $250 million during 2008-2012 for fruits and vegetables for schools (Sec. 4404). -Establishes a mandatory labeling of countries of origin for goat meat, chicken, ginseng, pecans, and macadamia nuts, and changes the designation criteria for United States country of origin labeling and allows multiple countries to be listed on labels for beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and goat meat (Sec. 11002). -Supports the price of dairy products by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to buy cheddar cheese, butter, and nonfat dry milk made from milk produced in the United States (Sec. 1501). -Extends the Dairy Export Incentive Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program, and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program through 2012 (Secs. 1503, 1505, 1507). -Lowers the income tax credit for ethanol producers during 2009 and 2010 for a blender amount from 51 cents to 45 cents and for a low-proof blender amount from 37.78 cents to 33.33 cents (Sec. 15331). -Extends the alcohol fuels credit to cellulosic biofuel (Sec. 15321). -Establishes the Biomass Research and Development Initiative to award grants and financial assistance for the research of biofuels and biobased products (Sec. 9001). -Provides assistance for landowners who have lost non-industrial private forestland due to wildfires, hurricanes, excessive winds, drought, ice storms, blizzards, or floods (Sec. 8203). -Increases loan rates for sugar producers (Sec. 1401). -Offers incentive payments for the production of oil seeds that reduce the need for hydrogenated oil (Sec. 1605). -Extends the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program through the 2012 fiscal year (Secs. 2101, 2203). -Renames the Food Stamp Program to the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" and replaces coupons used for the Food Stamp Program with electronic benefit transfer cards (EBTs) which can be used at any retail food store (Secs. 4001 and 4115). -Requires pilot programs to reduce obesity in the United States (Sec. 4141). -Authorizes $25 million for each fiscal year from 2008 through 2012 for loans to broadband internet service providers in rural areas that currently have two or fewer providers in the area and have at least 25 percent of the area serviced by not more than one provider (Sec. 6110). -NOTE: Due to a clerical error, this bill was sent to the President without Title III (concerning trade), and therefore, the veto override votes by the House and Senate are on the bill without this title. On 5/22/2008 the House passed H.R. 6124, a new bill containing 15 farm bill titles.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 6049 Alternative Energy Tax Incentives

Outcome: Bill Passed (263/160)

Summary: -Extends the renewable energy tax credit by one year for new wind facilities (Sec. 101). -Extends the renewable energy tax credit by 3 years for new qualified closed-loop or open-loop biomass facilities, geothermal or solar energy facilities, small irrigation power facilities, landfill gas facilities, trash combustion facilities, and qualified hydropower facilities (Sec. 101). -Designates marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as being qualified energy resources eligible for the renewable energy tax credit (Sec. 102). -Extends for 6 years the 30 percent energy tax credit for qualified fuel cell property and solar energy property and the 10 percent credit for microturbine property (Sec. 103). -Extends the tax credit for certain new residential "energy efficient" property for 6 years and raises the total tax credit for new solar electric property from $2,000 to $4,000 (Sec. 104). -Extends the research tax credit, restaurant property depreciation tax credits, and optional state sales tax deductions for one year (Sec. 221, 225, 201). -Extends tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel used as fuel for one year, and raises the biodiesel credits and biodiesel mixture credits from 50 cents per gallon to $1 per gallon (Sec. 122). -Provides an additional standard deduction for real property taxes for non-itemizers of up to $350 or $700 for a joint return (Sec. 301). -Increases the child tax credit for low-income parents (Sec. 302). -Delays tax code provisions that would allow companies to allocate interest on a worldwide basis for 10 years (Sec. 402). -Mandates that compensation deferred under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan of a foreign corporation shall be includible in gross income in the absence of a substantial risk of forfeiture of rights to such compensation (Sec. 401).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 2642 Funding for Military Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Failed (141/149)

Summary: -Requires the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to send a report to Congress detailing performance standards and goals with a timetable for the achievement of security, economic, and security force training objectives in Iraq, starting with an initial report to be submitted by December 5, 2008 and updating the report every 90 days thereafter through the end of fiscal year 2009 (Sec. 9204). -Requires the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on the individual transition readiness assessments of security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, starting with an initial report 30 days after enactment of this bill and updating the report every 90 days after the initial submission until October 1, 2009 (Sec. 9205).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 2642 G.I. Bill Expansion and Other Domestic Provisions

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (256/166)

Summary: -Designates differing amounts of payments to be made to fund the higher education of individuals who have served on active duty in the Armed Forces beginning on or after September 11, 2001 based on factors such as length of active duty service and disabilities accrued, and specifies that these payments shall not exceed the cost of in-state tuition at the most expensive public university in the state in which the individual is enrolled (Sec. 3003). -Requires the Secretary of Defense to match assistance given to members of the Armed Forces by institutions of higher learning to cover fees and expenses beyond what other provisions of this amendment provide (Sec. 3003). -Finances payments to Armed Forces members receiving educational benefits under this amendment by levying a tax equal to 0.47 percent of income exceeding $500,000 for a single taxpayer other than a corporation or $1 million for a joint return (Sec. 7001). -Qualifies unemployed individuals in participating states for emergency unemployment compensation if the individuals have exhausted all rights to regular compensation, have no rights to regular or extended compensation, or are not receiving compensation under the unemployment compensation law of Canada (Sec. 4001). -Extends and expands moratoria relating to Medicaid through April 1, 2009, including cutting Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers, removing Medicaid reimbursements for graduate medical education programs, excluding certain social services related to families and children from being included in the Medicaid program, and restricting optional case management services, outpatient hospital services, or allowable provider taxes (Sec. 5001). -Appropriates $25 million in 2009 and the same amount in each subsequent year for the purpose of reducing Medicaid fraud and abuse (Sec. 5001). -Appropriates funds for military construction, veterans affairs, international affairs and other security-related matters, including $8.7 billion for the Department of State and foreign operations, $4.76 billion for military construction and veterans affairs, $1.25 billion for agriculture, and $229.3 million for commerce, justice, and science. -Appropriates funds for domestic matters, including $5.76 billion for hurricane-related expenses for the greater New Orleans area, $210 million for periodic censuses and programs, $178 million for the federal prison system, and $110 million for state unemployment insurance and employment service operations.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill)

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (318/106)

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 3221 Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs

Outcome: Amendment Adopted (266/154)

Summary: -Establishes the Refinance Program Oversight Board, which is responsible for coordinating a program that insures "homeownership retention mortgages," which are refinance loans designed for borrowers who are at risk of foreclosure (Sec. 112). -Specifies that the aggregate original principal mortgages insured under the "homeownership retention mortgage" program may not exceed $300 billion (Sec. 112). -Expands eligibility for FHA mortgage insurance to include borrowers who have been deemed "high risk" due to having a credit score equivalent to a Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) score of less than 560 (Sec. 206). -Provides incentives for "high risk" borrowers who have consistently paid their premiums on time that would reduce the amount of annual premium payments to payment levels equal to that of individuals who are not deemed "high risk" borrowers (Sec. 208). -Mandates the establishment of underwriting standards which allow the FHA to insure mortgage loans for qualified borrowers who have existing mortgages with adverse terms or rates, qualified borrowers who do not have access to mortgages "at reasonable rates and terms for such refinancings due to adverse market conditions", and qualified borrowers who are in default or at imminent risk of being in default (Sec. 210). -Outlines the following eligibility requirements for receiving insurance for a "homeownership retention mortgage":

-The insured residence shall be the sole residence in which the mortgagor has a full ownership interest,
-The mortgagor shall be verifiably unable to pay the existing mortgage(s) and, as of March 1, 2008, the mortgagor shall have had a mortgage debt-to-income ratio of greater than 35 percent,
-The new loans shall not exceed 90 percent of the property's value,
-Prepayment, default, and delinquency penalties on existing mortgages shall be waived,
-Indebtedness under the existing senior mortgage shall have been reduced by such percentage as the Refinance Program Oversight Board may require, and holders of liens on property securing a mortgage to be insured under the program shall agree to accept the proceeds of the insured loan as payment in full for all indebtedness under all existing mortgages,
-The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall hold and retain a lien on the residence which will be subordinate to the mortgage insured under the program but will be senior to all other mortgages,
-The mortgage insured under the program shall bear a single rate which will be fixed for the entire mortgage term,
-The mortgagor shall undergo a criminal history check to ensure that he or she has not been convicted of mortgage fraud in the past seven years (Sec. 112).

-Requires the implementation of the following underwriting standards for the "homeownership retention mortgage" program: the mortgagor insured under the program shall have "a reasonable expectation" of repaying the mortgage, there shall be no denial of insurance based on credit scores, based on previous delinquency or default, or based on bankruptcy, and a total debt-to-income ratio of up to 50 percent shall be allowed (Sec. 112). -Terminates "homeownership retention mortgages" two years after the enactment of this amendment, in the absence of any approved extensions (Sec. 112). -Increases the allowed levels of principal obligations for mortgages insured by the FHA (Sec. 203). -Extends the term of mortgages insured by the FHA from thirty-five to forty years (Sec. 204). -Establishes the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which shall supervise and regulate Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Federal Home Loan Banks (Sec. 311). -Raises limits on loans that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase from $93,750 to $417,000 for a single-family residence, from $120,000 to $533,850 for a two-family residence, from $145,000 to $645,300 for a three-family residence, and from $180,000 to $801,950 for a four-family residence (Sec. 333).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 3221 Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments

Outcome: Amendment Adopted (322/94)

Summary: -Provides first-time homebuyers with a tax credit of up to $7,500 for residences purchased on or after April 9, 2008, which the homebuyers will repay over fifteen years following their purchase (Sec. 712). -Provides existing homeowners with a real property tax deduction of up to $350 for an individual or $700 for a joint return (Sec. 713). -Provides the states with $10 billion of additional tax-exempt housing bonds to be issued before December 31, 2010 and used for qualified residential rental projects or mortgage issues, including the refinancing of mortgages on residences originally financed through subprime loans (Sec. 715). -Provides that bonds guaranteed by federal home loan banks between the date of enactment of this bill and December 31, 2010 are eligible for treatment as tax-exempt bonds (Sec. 717). -Repeals the Alternative Minimum Tax limitations on tax-exempt housing bonds issued after enactment of this bill and repeals limits on low-income housing and rehabilitation credits for periods after December 31, 2007 (Sec. 716). -Requires that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development implement procedural changes to expedite the approval of low-income multifamily housing projects (Sec. 752). -Requires that the Secretary of Agriculture take actions to facilitate timely approval of requests to transfer ownership or control of multifamily housing projects for which assistance is provided by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with certain low-income housing credits (Sec. 753). -Changes the limitation on the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of property owned by servicemembers from 90 days to one year after their return from military service (Sec. 761). -Requires that any charges accrued by a servicemember who defaults on an obligation for two consecutive months during their service or during the one-year limitation on foreclosures for servicemembers shall be provided with a statement describing his or her liability (Sec. 762).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5818 Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes

Outcome: Bill Passed (239/188)

Summary: - Allows grants to be used for the purchase of qualified foreclosed housing for resale as housing for homeownership to families with incomes below 140 percent of the median income in the area of the housing, for purchase of foreclosed housing as rental or rent-to-own housing to tenants whose incomes do not exceed 100 percent of the median income for the area, and for rehabilitation of foreclosed housing to comply with codes, safety requirements and increased energy efficiency to help resell the building at a price close to the acquisition price of the housing (Sec. 8). - Prohibits grants from being used to provide assistance to homebuyers of single family housing for down payments (Sec. 8). - Requires at least 50 percent of grant amounts under this act to be provided to "very low income families," who have an income of 50 percent or lower of the median income in the area, with half of the very low income family grant monies required to go to "extremely low income families," who have an income of 30 percent or less of the median income in the area (Sec. 8). - States that recipients of loans or grants under this act may not refuse to lease a housing unit to a person receiving vouchers or certificates of eligibility under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 and that an owner who receives funds for foreclosed housing must uphold the lease and housing assistance payments contract for tenants receiving section 8 vouchers unless the property is unmarketable while occupied or the owner turns the housing into personal or family use (Sec. 8). - Requires owners to provide to tenants with a 90-day notice to vacate, and states that tenants with a lease who enter a lease prior to the notice foreclosure may occupy the premises until the earlier of either the end of the lease or the end of a 6-month period beginning on the date of the notice of foreclosure (Sec. 8). - Authorizes $15 billion to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Treasury for foreclosure assistance grants and direct loans under this act (Sec. 14). - States that anyone who is not lawfully present in the United States is ineligible for financial assistance under this act (Sec. 16).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (388/21)

Summary: -Increases the loan limit above the determined financial need for graduate students enrolled in an eligible institution from $10,000 to $12,000, allows a limit of up to $2,000 for dependent undergraduate students, and increases the limit amounts for independent undergraduate students from $4,000 to $6,000 for the first two years of study and from $5,000 to $7,000 for the second two years of study (Sec. 2). -Increases the total federal loan limit for undergraduate studies from $23,000 to $31,000 for dependent students and from $46,000 to $57,500 for independent students (Sec. 2). -Allows a six-month grace period after a student has less than half of a full time class load before parent borrowers must start making payments (Sec. 3). -Authorizes the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase loans originated on or after October 1, 2003 from eligible lenders if there is an inadequate availability of loan capital to meet the demand for student loans, with a temporary authority that expires on July 1, 2009 (Sec. 7).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) S 2739 Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008

Outcome: Bill Passed (291/117)

Summary: -Establishes a 106,000 acre wilderness preservation known as the "Wild Sky Wilderness" in the state of Washington (Sec. 101). -Applies United States immigration laws and immigration-related labor laws to the Northern Mariana Islands (Sec. 702). -Establishes a commission to study the possible creation of a National Museum of the American Latino (Sec. 333). -Creates the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois (Sec. 443). -Creates the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in New York (Sec. 423). -Provides the Northern Mariana Islands with a non-voting delegate in the United States House of Representatives (Sec. 711). -Increases the powers of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, which is charged with establishing a permanent memorial for Former President Eisenhower (Sec. 332). -Expands the Minidoka Internment National Monument in Idaho to include the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial site in Baingridge, Washington (Sec. 313).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes

Outcome: Bill Passed (383/27)

Summary: -Increases the loan limit above the determined financial need for graduate students enrolled in an eligible institution from $10,000 to $12,000, allows a limit of up to $2,000 for dependent undergraduate students, and increases the limit amounts for independent undergraduate students from $4,000 to $6,000 for the first two years of study and from $5,000 to $7,000 for the second two years of study (Sec. 2). -Sets the total loan limit for undergraduate studies at $31,000 for dependent students and $57,500 for independent students (Sec. 2). -Allows a six month grace period after a student has less than half of a full time class load before parent borrowers must start making payments (Sec. 3). -Authorizes the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase loans originated on or after October 1, 2003 from eligible lenders if there is an inadequate availability of loan capital to meet the demand for student loans, with a temporary authority that expires on July 1, 2009 (Sec. 7).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 2634 Expanding the List of Countries Eligible for Debt Forgiveness

Outcome: Bill Passed (285/132)

Summary: Vote to pass a bill that expands the number of countries eligible for debt relief programs with international financial institutions and the U.S.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5036 Federal Funding for Voting System Changes

Outcome: Bill Failed (239/178)

Summary: -Requires that the Election Assistance Commission pay eligible jurisdictions to cover the costs of conversion to a paper ballot voting system or to cover the costs of retrofitting electronic voting systems to produce paper records (Sec. 2). -Requires that the Election Assistance Commission pay states to cover the costs of conducting any necessary manual audits of results from federal elections taking place in November 2008 and, at the option of the state, results from state and local elections taking place at the same time (Sec. 3). -Requires that the Election Assistance Commission pay states to cover the costs of conducting any necessary hand counts of results from federal elections taking place in November 2008 (Sec. 4). -Mandates that the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall study, test, and develop products and practices that ensure the accessibility of paper ballot verification and casting for disabled voters, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with literacy difficulties (Sec. 5).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 5719 Amending Tax Code Provisions and IRS Practices

Outcome: Bill Passed (238/179)

Summary: -Repeals the authority of the IRS to enter into debt collection contracts with private organizations (Sec. 14). -Requires that amounts paid out of a health savings account must be substantiated in order to be exempt from income tax (Sec. 17). -Requires that foreign persons or companies working under a U.S. government contract be treated as U.S. employers for tax purposes (Sec. 18). -Removes cellular phones from the list of items an employee must include as income if the employee utilizes them for personal use (Sec. 3). -Delays the application of a law requiring a withholding of three percent from the payment of any U.S. government contract from December 31, 2010 to December 31, 2011 (Sec. 4). -Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to notify a taxpayer of any suspected identity theft or criminal charges of identity theft (Sec. 13). -Requires that, in cases where a taxpayer may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit but has not previously filed for it, the Secretary of the Treasury must notify the taxpayer that they may be eligible (Sec. 8).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis

Outcome: Bill Passed (308/116)

Summary: -Amends a provision in U.S. law that required one-third of assistance to be used for abstinence education programs so that it now reads "balanced funding for prevention activities for sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS" are required (Sec. 403). -Requires the HIV/AIDS Response Coordinator in the U.S. Department of State to work with host countries to link HIV/AIDS programs with programs to deter prostitution (Sec. 102). -Adds Vietnam, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Malawi, Swaziland, and Lesotho to the list of countries that will receive funding under this program (Sec. 102). -Provides that that strategy to prevent HIV/AIDS infection among women and youth shall include the ABC model: "Abstain, Be faithful, use Condoms" (Sec. 313). -States that if host countries use less than 50 percent of their AIDS targeted funding for behavioral change programs (such as programs promoting abstinence, monogamy, and partner reduction), then the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally must file a report with Congress justifying this decision (Sec. 403). -Provides that the plan to combat HIV/AIDS will make family planning clinics available for testing and education (Sec. 101). -Authorizes $2 billion for assistance to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria (Sec. 202). -Provides that treatment and care of individuals with HIV/AIDS includes providing safe drinking water and nutrition (Sec. 301). -Provides that $5 billion of the funding authorized in this bill shall be for combating malaria and $4 billion shall be for combating tuberculosis (Sec. 302, Sec. 303) -Provides that assistance shall be given to post-secondary institutions in host countries to improve their health infrastructure, with collaboration from historically black colleges and universities in the United States (Sec. 205). -Provides that organizations receiving assistance to combat HIV/AIDS are not required to engage in programs or methods that they find morally objectionable (Sec. 301).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) H Amdt 972 Substitute Amendment for the House Budget Resolution

Outcome: Amendment Rejected (157/263)

Summary: -Sets the following new budget authorities for 2008 through 2013 in major funding categories: - $3.56 trillion for National Defense - $2.79 trillion for Medicare - $2.48 trillion for Income Security - $2.33 trillion for Net Interest - $2.02 trillion for Health - $803.43 billion for Allowances - $584.75 billion for Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services - $582.64 billion for Veteran's Benefits and Services - $466.65 billion for Transportation - $290.57 billion for Administration of Justice - $216.63 billion for International Affairs - $205.96 billion for Natural Resources and Environment - $172.85 billion for General Science, Space and Technology - $160.96 billion for General Government - $155.31 billion for Social Security - $132.48 billion for Agriculture - $95.75 billion for Community and Regional Development - $56.15 billion for Commerce and Housing Credit - $23.11 billion for Energy -Establishes a moratorium on the consideration of bills containing earmarks in the House of Representatives for the remainder of 2008. (Sec. 301). -Establishes the Joint Select Committee on Earmark Reform (composed of members appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, the House of Representatives and Senate Minority Leaders, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives) which will be charged with completing a study of the practices of the House, Senate, and executive branch regarding earmarks and providing a report of the findings of the study to the House of Representatives and Senate no later than six months after the adoption of H Con Res 312 (Sec. 302). -Calls for the pursuit of medical liability reform as a means to endeavor towards domestic entitlement reform involving limiting the growth of Medicare and Medicaid "to ensure their long-term viability" (Sec. 413). -Calls for the phasing out of the Alternative Minimum Tax (Sec. 416). -Prohibits the consideration of any bill, joint resolution, or conference report that would increase the budget deficit (Sec. 701).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) H Con Res 312 Concurrent Budget Resolution

Outcome: Resolution Passed (212/207)

Summary: -Recommends the following new budget authorities for specific departments in fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013: -$3.38 trillion for National Defense -$2.79 trillion for Medicare -$2.49 trillion for Income Security -$2.02 trillion for Health -$581.64 billion for Veterans Benefits and Services -$469.24 billion for Transportation -$155.31 billion for Social Security -Allows the chairman of the Committee on the Budget to increase appropriations for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), veterans and military personnel health care and disability benefits, renewable energy production, affordable housing, Medicare, and other programs, provided that they do not increase the budget deficit (Sec. 301-317). -Allows the chairman of the House Committee on the Budget to revise budget levels for increases in tax reductions and credits for middle-income families and taxpayers, including extension of the child tax credit, reductions in the tax rate for married couples, and the elimination on most estate taxes and states that the policy of this resolution is to "minimize fiscal burdens on middle-income families" (Sec. 306, 501). -States that overseas military operations funding should not be included in emergency supplemental requests, implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendation to fund nuclear nonproliferation programs should be a high priority, TRICARE fees should not be increased, missile defense should be funded at an "adequate but lower level," and the Department of Defense should address the recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office and investigate money not accounted for (Sec. 502).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008

Outcome: Veto Override Failed (225/188)

Summary: - Authorizes classified dollar amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security (Sec. 101). - Requires $39.00 million to be transferred from the Director of National Intelligence to the Attorney General for the National Drug Intelligence Center (Sec. 104). - Authorizes $262.50 million for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability Fund (Sec. 201). - Directs the Director of National Intelligence to implement a multi-level security clearance system for persons proficient in foreign languages or with cultural, linguistic, or other subject matter expertise "critical to national security," and to annually report to Congress regarding the foreign language proficiency of the intelligence community (Sec. 303, Sec. 414). - Requires the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report to Congress no later than March 31, 2008, regarding the use and impact of private contractors in the intelligence community, as well as the accountability mechanisms that govern their performance (Sec. 307). - Requires the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report to Congress no later than March 31, 2008, outlining plans to increase the recruiting, hiring, and retaining of diverse candidates (Sec. 309). - Directs the Director of National Intelligence to conduct vulnerability assessments for major systems, which are defined as significant programs of the intelligence community with projected total development and procurement costs exceeding $500.00 million (Sec. 311). - Directs the Director of National Intelligence to present annual reports to Congress regarding the acquisition of any major systems and to notify Congress within 60 days if development costs for any programs significantly exceed the baseline costs (Sec. 313, Sec. 314). - Increases the time of potential imprisonment for disclosing the identity of undercover intelligence officers and agents from 10 to 15 years (Sec. 324). - Requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress within 45 days after the date of the enactment of this bill regarding the detention and interrogation methods used by the intelligence community (Sec. 326). - Mandates that no person in the custody or within the control of an element of the intelligence community, regardless of that individual's physical location or nationality, shall be "subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by the United States Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations" (Sec. 327). - Requires all members of the Congressional intelligence committees to be fully updated on intelligence regarding the Israeli military action in Syria on September 6, 2007, before more than 30 percent of authorized appropriations may be expended (Sec. 328). - Requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress regarding the nuclear intentions and capabilities of Iran and North Korea (Sec. 407). - Establishes an Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community to objectively investigate and audit the conduct of the intelligence community (Sec. 413).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2008) HR 5351 Energy Law Amendments

Outcome: Bill Passed (236/182)

Summary: -Extends tax credits for wind facilities, closed loop and open loop biomass facilities, geothermal and solar facilities, small irrigation power facilities, landfill gas facilities, trash combustion facilities, and hydropower facilities for three years (Sec. 101). -Designates tax credits for marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy (Sec. 102). -Extends by eight years the 30 percent tax credit for solar energy property and fuel cell property (Sec. 103). -Creates new "clean renewable energy" bonds and designates a $2 billion limit on those bonds, which would be allocated to qualified projects of public power providers and cooperative electric companies (Sec. 104). -Extends tax credits for residential energy efficient property for six years (Sec. 106). -Raises the maximum credit for solar electric property from $2,000 to $4,000 (Sec. 106). -Allots income tax credits to consumers who buy plug-in hybrid vehicles (Sec. 201). -Extends and modifies tax credits for energy efficient appliances (Sec. 234). -Prevents tax deductions to major integrated oil companies for income resulting from the domestic production of oil and gas (Sec. 301). -Reduces the tax deduction of taxpayers with oil-related qualified production activities income by 3 percent after 2008 (Sec. 301).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (380/34)

Summary: - Allows a tax credit in 2008 of an amount equal to an individual's net income tax liability or $600 (or $1,200 for a joint return), whichever is less (Sec. 101). - Allows at least a $300 tax credit (or a $600 credit for a joint return) for taxpayers who have a qualified income of at least $3,000 (Sec. 101). - Defines "qualified income" as earned income, social security benefits for seniors and tier 1 railroad retirees, and certain veterans' compensations and pensions (Sec. 101). - Allows a $300 tax credit per child (Sec. 101). - Denies eligibility to undocumented immigrants (Sec. 101). - Appropriates an additional $266.31 million for the Department of Treasury, to remain available until September 30, 2009 (Sec. 101). - Increases the limits on the maximum original principal obligation of mortgages for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and for the Federal Housing Administration (Sec. 201, 202).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions

Outcome: Bill Passed (354/58)

Summary: -Requires the government to make available online a list of the most expensive and least expensive colleges on a website, along with a list of the colleges that have had the largest increases in tuition and fee rates over a three year period (Sec. 109). -Requires the colleges with the largest increases in tuition and fee rates to submit a report describing the causes of these increases (Sec. 109). -Requires textbook publishers to disclose the retail cost of textbooks and supplemental materials before selling them to school officials (Sec. 110). -Requires textbook publishers that bundle textbooks and supplemental materials to also make the textbooks and supplemental materials available separately (Sec. 110). -Requires colleges and lending institutions to disclose to the government any preferred lender relationships (Sec. 115). -Prohibits colleges from entering into any kind of revenue sharing arrangement with lenders (Sec. 115). -Expands federal Pell Grants to allow awards of up to two grants for students taking more than two semesters or the equivalent each year (Sec. 401). -Raises the maximum Pell grand from $5,800 to $9,000 per academic year (Sec. 401).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan

Outcome: Bill Passed (385/35)

Summary: - Allows a tax credit in 2008 of an amount equal to an individual's net income tax liability or $600 (or $1,200 for a joint return), whichever is less (Sec. 101). - Allows at least a $300 tax credit (or $600 for a joint return) for a taxpayer who earned an income of at least $3,000 (Sec. 101). - Allows a $300 tax credit per child (Sec. 101). - Appropriates an additional $251.13 million for the Department of Treasury, to remain available until September 30, 2009 (Sec. 101). - Increases the limits on the maximum original principal obligation of mortgages for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and for the Federal Housing Administration (Sec. 201, 202).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP)

Outcome: Veto Override Failed (260/152)

Summary: -Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance for targeted low-income pregnant women if the minimum eligibility level is at least 185 percent of the poverty level or at least 200 percent of the poverty level for children under 19 years of age (Sec. 111). -Prohibits the approval, extension, or renewal of CHIP waivers to parents of targeted low-income children and nonpregnant childless adults (Sec. 112). -Prohibits payments for providing child heath assistance for children whose family income would exceed 300 percent of the poverty line unless a waiver is granted by the state (Sec. 114). -Appropriates $100.00 million through 2012 for outreach and enrollment grant programs designed to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children in CHIP (Sec. 201). -Requires states to submit the names and social security numbers of children eligible for CHIP and to make a "reasonable effort" to address any inconsistencies in social security numbers and the declaration of citizenship or nationality while continuing to provide medical assistance until the problem is resolved, and allows state programs to enter an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security to provide for the electronic submission of documents (Sec. 211). -Appropriates $25.00 million from the U.S. Treasury Department for programs designed to reduce child obesity (Sec. 401). -Restates that Federal payments for Medicaid or CHIP cannot be made to people who are not legal residents (Sec. 605). -Increases the tax on cigars from $1.828 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigars weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from 20.719 percent of the retail price to 52.988 percent of the retail price for cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand, with a cap of $3.00 per cigar (Sec. 701 [a]). -Increases the tax from $19.50 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from $40.95 per thousand to $105.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand (Sec. 701 [b]). -Increases the taxes on cigarette paper from $0.0122 to $0.0313 per fifty papers and on cigarette tubes from $0.0244 to $0.0626 per fifty tubes (Sec. 701 [c-d]). -Increases the taxes on snuff from $0.585 to $1.50 per pound and on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.50 per pound (Sec. 701 [e]). -Increases the taxes on pipe tobacco from $1.0969 to $2.8126 per pound and on roll-your-own-tobacco from $1.0969 to $8.8889 per pound (Sec. 701 [f-g]).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2008) HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill

Outcome: Bill Passed (369/46)

Summary: -Allows the President to grant immunity to Iraq for certain cases brought in U.S. courts for money damages due to state sponsored terrorism if the immunity is deemed to be in the national security interest of the U.S. and it will promote the reconstruction of Iraq (Sec. 1083). -Increases the basic monthly pay for members of the uniformed services by 3.5 percent starting January 1, 2008 (Sec. 601). -Permits veterans who are 100 percent disabled to receive all of both their retirement pay and their disability pay (Sec. 642). -Provides that drugs prescribed under the TRICARE pharmaceutical program will be treated as a part of the Department of Defense procurement, and that these drugs are then subject to the pricing restrictions applicable to the procurement of drugs by federal agencies (Sec. 703). -Establishes the National Security Personnel System as a human resources management system for the Department of Defense, and requires that this system allows employees to practice collective bargaining through labor organizations of their own choosing (Sec. 1106). -Provides that the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and Inspectors General for Iraq Reconstruction and Afghanistan Reconstruction shall develop plans for auditing contracts made by the Department of Defense and other federal agencies (Sec. 842). -Authorizes $187.14 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan operations.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (272/142)

Summary: - Prohibits these funds from being used to enter into an agreement with the government of Iraq that would subject members of the Armed Forces of the United States to the jurisdiction of Iraq criminal courts or punishment under Iraq law (Division L, Title VI, Sec. 612). - Requires the Department of Defense to provide Congress with periodic reports regarding the political, security, economic, and security force training objectives in Iraq, as well as a notional timetable for achieving these goals (Division L, Title VI, Sec. 609).

Kucinich's Vote

-

(2007) HR 3996 Temporary Alternative Minimum Tax Adjustment Act of 2007

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (352/64)

Kucinich's Vote

-

(2007) HR 6 Energy Act of 2007

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (314/100)

Summary: -Increases Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020 (Sec. 102). -Requires a minimum standard of 27.5 miles per gallon for domestic passenger vehicles (Sec. 102). -Requires an increase in the production of renewable fuels from 4.0 billion gallons to 36.0 billion gallons by 2022 (Sec. 202). -Stipulates that all renewable fuel refineries built after enactment of this bill reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent of the current baseline (Sec. 202). -Increases energy efficiency standards for certain household appliances, battery chargers, walk-in coolers and freezers, electric motors, light bulbs, and other devices (Title III). - Establishes the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program to provide training to veterans, unemployed individuals, and workers impacted by energy and environmental policies (Sec. 1002).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 2764 Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (206/201)

Summary: -Prohibits money in this bill from being used for operations in Iraq (Division L, Title I, Sec. 104). -Prohibits money in this bill from being used to conduct torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, as defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Division L, Title I, Sec. 102).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 2764 Inclusion of Consolidated Appropriations

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (253/154)

Summary: - Prohibits funds made available in this Act from being used to enter into a "permanent basing rights agreement" between the United States and Iraq (Division J, Sec. 680). - Prohibits funds made available in this Act from being used "in any way whatsoever to support or justify the use of torture, cruel or inhumane treatment by any official or contract employee of the United States Government" (Division B, Sec. 521; Division J, Sec. 681). - Extends the implementation deadline for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which requires a passport for travel by land or sea to Canada or the United States, to after June 1, 2009 (Division E, Sec. 545). - Allows individuals to import prescription drugs from Canada, so long as the drugs are not controlled substances and the amount does not exceed a 90-day supply (Division E, Sec. 558). - Sets the maximum Pell Grant award for students at $4,241 during the 2008-2009 award year (Division G, Title III). - Expresses the support of Congress for a nationwide program of "mandatory, market-based limits and incentives on emissions of greenhouse gases" to abate the growth of such emissions, in a manner that will not "significantly harm the United States economy" (Division E, Sec. 430). - Prohibits the Department of the Interior from conducting oil or natural gas offshore pre-leasing, leasing, or related activities in certain coastal areas of California, Oregon, Washington, the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico (Division F, Sec. 104-105). - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to construct at least 700 miles of reinforced fencing along the U.S. southwest border, including 370 miles to be completed by December 31, 2008 (Division E, Section 564). - Prohibits funds made available in this Act from being used to establish a cross-border motor carrier program that would allow Mexico-based motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones along the border between the United States and Mexico (Division K, Sec. 136). - Grants certain Iraqi and Afghan refugees access to resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits for up to six months (Division G, Sec. 525). - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Arab League boycott of Israel is an "impediment to peace in the region," that the boycott should be immediately terminated, and that all Arab League states should normalize relations with Israel (Division J, Sec. 635). - Directs the President to submit a report to Congress that outlines in classified and unclassified terms a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction plan for ensuring that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites are secure by 2012 (Division J, Sec. 699M). - Allows a woman to breastfeed her child on federal property if she and her child are authorized to be at the location (Division D, Sec. 727). - Prohibits funds from being used for "research, development, or demonstration activities related exclusively to the human exploration of Mars" (Division B, Title III). - Appropriates $90.9 billion for the Departments of Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration, with $1.3 billion in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $89.6 billion (Division A). - Appropriates $57.0 billion for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and Science, with $3.2 billion in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $53.8 billion (Division B). - Appropriates $32.9 billion for the Departments of Energy and Interior and water development projects, with $2.0 billion in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $30.9 billion (Division C). - Appropriates $34.5 billion for the Department of the Treasury, the Judiciary, the Executive Office of the President, and the District of Columbia, with $1.4 billion in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $33.1 billion (Division D). - Appropriates $41.2 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, with $2.6 billion in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $38.6 billion (Division E). - Appropriates $27.2 billion for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency, with $81.6 million in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $27.1 billion (Division F). - Appropriates $410.3 billion for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, with $1.6 billion in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $408.7 billion (Division G). - Appropriates $4.2 billion for the legislative branch, with $3.8 million in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $4.2 billion (Division H). - Appropriates $108.6 billion for military construction and veterans' affairs, with $128.5 million in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $108.5 billion (Division I). - Appropriates $35.8 billion for the Department of State and foreign operations, with $158.0 million in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $35.7 billion (Division J). - Appropriates $311.3 billion for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, with $6.3 billion in rescissions and offsetting, for a net cost of $305.0 billion (Division K).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (222/199)

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 1585 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (370/49)

Summary: -Increases the basic monthly pay for members of the uniformed services by 3.5 percent (Sec. 601). -Permits veterans who are 100 percent disabled to receive all of both their retirement pay and their disability pay (Sec. 642). -Requires the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish an electronic system through which the two departments can share and coordinate the use of personal health care information (Sec. 1635). -Provides that drugs prescribed under the TRICARE pharmaceutical program will be treated as a part of the Department of Defense procurement, and that these drugs are then subject to the pricing restrictions applicable to the procurement of drugs by federal agencies (Sec. 703). -Establishes the National Security Personnel System as a human resources management system for the Department of Defense, and requires that this system allows employees to practice collective bargaining through labor organizations of their own choosing (Sec. 1106). -Establishes additional Congressional oversight at various stages of major defense acquisitions (Sec. 813). -Prohibits the Department of Defense from awarding most lead systems integrator contracts after the start of the 2010 fiscal year (Sec. 802). -Provides that the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and Inspectors General for Iraq Reconstruction and Afghanistan Reconstruction shall develop plans for auditing contracts made by the Department of Defense and other federal agencies (Sec. 842). -Authorizes $187.14 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan operations.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 4351 Alternative Minimum Tax Adjustment Act

Outcome: Bill Passed (226/193)

Summary: -Extends the alternative minimum tax limit for nonrefundable personal credits to 2007 and increases the amounts of exemption from $62,550 to $66,250 for joint tax returns and from $42,500 to $44,350 for individual tax returns (Secs. 101, 102). -Requires non-ascertainable income that is included in nonqualified deferred compensation to be taxed, when the amount can be determined, at a rate increased by the amount of interest at the underpayment rate, plus one percent on the underpayments, and an additional 20 percent of the amount of the compensation (Sec. 201). -Requires nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements made before December 31, 2007, to be amended in a limited time to comply with the distribution date of the amounts to be included in income (Sec. 201). -Defers treating domestic corporations that are part of a worldwide affiliated group as an individual corporation for income tax purposes until December 31, 2017 (Sec. 221).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 6 Energy Act of 2007

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (235/181)

Summary: -Raises the required fleet average fuel economy for domestic automobile manufacturers to at least 35 miles per gallon by model year 2020 (Sec. 102). -Requires 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be added to the gasoline supply by 2020 (Sec. 202). -Increases energy efficiency standards for certain household appliances, battery chargers, walk-in coolers and freezers, electric motors, light bulbs, and other devices (Title III). -Establishes a renewable energy and energy efficiency development program that will provide training to veterans, unemployed individuals, and workers impacted by energy and environmental policies (Sec. 1002). -Makes bonds available for local projects to conserve energy (Sec. 1541). -Requires retail electric energy suppliers to obtain 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020 (Sec. 1401). -Lowers the income tax deduction for income from oil-related qualified production activities (Sec. 1561).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Outcome: Veto Override Failed (277/141)

Summary: -Provides that Iraqi and Afghan immigrants who are granted special immigrant status are eligible for up to six months of resettlement assistance and entitlement programs available to refugees (Sec. 525). -Prohibits funds in the bill from being used to implement a totalization agreement between the Social Security programs of the United States and Mexico (Sec. 526). -$13.63 billion for the Department of Labor, including $3.37 billion for training and employment services, $3.47 billion for state unemployment insurance and employment service operations, and $1.65 billion for the office of the Job Corps -$480.03 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, including $30.01 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $401.41 billion for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and $27.32 billion for the Administration for Children and Families -$63.58 billion for the Department of Education, including $16.38 billion for student financial assistance, $15.93 billion for education for the disadvantaged, and $12.36 billion for special education -$53.98 for related agencies, including $51.81 billion for the Social Security Administration, $1.35 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service, and $420.00 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Kucinich's Vote

-

(2007) HR 3074 Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (270/147)

Summary: -Prohibits funds from being used to establish a cross-border motor carrier program allowing Mexican motor carriers to operate beyond commercial zones along the border between the United States and Mexico (Sec. 136). - $195.00 million for replacing the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and $1.00 billion for bridge repairs in other states. - $1.66 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak services. - $39.69 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 4156 Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq

Outcome: Bill Passed (218/203)

Summary: -States that no person in the custody of the U.S. Government can be subject to any interrogation methods not listed in the U.S. Army Field Manual FM2-22.3 Human Intelligence Collector Operations (Sec. 102). -Sets a goal for the President to begin redeploying U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq within 30 days after enactment of this act, starting with units that have been deployed over 365 days, to be completed no later than December 15, 2008 (Sec. 105). -Requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report by February 1, 2008 to Congressional defense committees that describes the current plan and status for the reduction of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq, and delays any additional funding until this report is submitted to Congress (Sec. 105, 106). -Requires that none of the appropriated funds may be used to establish a permanent military installation in Iraq or to control any oil resources in Iraq (Sec. 210).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 1429 Head Start Act of 2007

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (381/36)

Summary: -Authorizes $7.35 billion for fiscal year 2008, $7.65 billion for fiscal year 2009, $8.00 billion for fiscal year 2010, and such funds as may be necessary for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (Sec. 5). -Allows Head Start programs to increase the number of participants by 35 percent by including participants whose families' incomes are between 100 and 130 percent of the poverty level, as long as children from families whose income is at or below the poverty level or who are homeless have priority for inclusion in the programs (Sec. 14). -States that by 2013, at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers and education coordinators will have a baccalaureate or advanced degree in childhood education and all teaching assistants will have an associate's degree, and that by 2010, all teachers providing direct services to children and families participating in Early Head Start programs (which provide services for children from 0-3 years of age) located in Early Head Start centers have a minimum of a child development associate credential (Sec. 15, Sec. 19). -Requires that all Head Start teachers attend 15 hours of professional development training per year (Sec. 19).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3996 Temporary Tax Adjustments Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (216/193)

Summary: -Extends the alternative minimum tax limit for nonrefundable personal credits to 2007 and increases the amounts of exemption from $62,550 to $66,250 for joint tax returns and from $42,500 to $44,350 for individual tax returns (Secs. 101, 102). -Extends the deduction for state and local sales taxes to Jan. 1, 2009 (Sec. 301). -Extends the deduction for qualified tuition to Dec. 31, 2008 (Sec. 302). -Extends the deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to the taxable year starting in 2008 (Sec. 307). -Designates a state legislature as being in session for any day on which it is formally called into session without regard to whether legislation was considered, for the purposes of determining legislators' living expenses based on days in session starting in the taxable year 2008 (Sec. 313). -Treats any net income or loss for partners providing investment management services to partnership as ordinary income or loss, unless the partner is providing capital investment services (Sec. 611).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (274/141)

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3222 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (400/15)

Summary: -Appropriates $155.57 million for the Arrow missile defense program, including $37.38 million for Arrow missile components and missile defense in Israel, $20.00 million for preliminary design of the Israeli Missile Defense Architecture, and $37.00 million for the Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense program (Sec. 8080). -Prohibits funds from this act from being used to establish permanent military installations or bases in Iraq or for controlling oil resources in Iraq (Sec. 8113). -States that appropriations in this act cannot be used for publicity or propaganda that has not been authorized by Congress (Sec. 8001). -$105.29 billion for U.S. military personnel -$139.52 billion for U.S. military operation and maintenance -$97.50 billion for procurement for the armed forces -$76.56 billion for research, development, testing, and evaluation by the armed forces -$23.46 billion for the Defense Health Program -$46.69 billion to extend for another year various appropriations set to expire at the end of 2007

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 3355 Homeowners' Catastrophic Insurance Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (258/155)

Summary: -Establishes the National Catastrophe Risk Consortium to work with states to create an inventory of catastrophe risk obligations held by state reinsurance funds and issue securities linked to the catastrophe risk insured in capital markets (Secs. 101, 102). -States that the Consortium will be a nonprofit entity and that its earnings will not benefit any members, founders, contributors, or individuals with the Consortium (Sec. 104). -Authorizes $20.00 million to be appropriated each year from fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 2013 to fund the Consortium (Sec. 108). -Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to create a program to make liquidity loans and catastrophic loans to qualified reinsurance programs to ensure the programs' solvency and improve the availability and affordability of homeowners' insurance (Sec. 201). -Requires that a catastrophic loan can only be issued to a state if the insured losses with a qualified reinsurance program are more than 150 percent of the amount of direct premiums for property and casualty insurance for risks located in that state over the preceding calendar year, and sets the loan's interest rate at .20 percentage points higher than other loans issued by the Department of Treasury with maturity terms of less than 10 years (Sec. 202). -Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to make contracts for reinsurance coverage available for purchase by qualified reinsurance programs (Sec. 301). -Limits the total potential liability for payment of claims under contracts made by the Secretary of the Treasury to $200.00 billion a year (Sec. 304). -Establishes the Federal Natural Catastrophe Reinsurance Fund to cover contract payments for losses which will be composed of amounts received from contract sales, amounts earned on Fund investments, and other amounts appropriated each year (Sec. 305).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 1495 Water Resources Development Act of 2007

Outcome: Veto Override Passed (361/54)

Summary: -Sets authorizations at $2.20 billion for Florida water resource projects, including $1.12 billion for the Indian River Lagoon and $682.07 million for Everglades restoration. -Sets authorizations at $3.49 billion in appropriations for Louisiana coastal restoration projects. -Sets authorizations at $4.05 billion for Upper Mississippi River projects, including navigation improvements and ecosystem restoration.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 2262 Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act

Outcome: Bill Passed (244/166)

Summary: -Prohibits patents from being issued for mining claims or millsites after the passage of this act, unless the application was filed before September 30, 1994 (Sec. 101). -Requires royalty payments of 8% of gross income from mining a claim on Federal land, or 4% of claims on Federal land that existed prior to the passage of this act (Sec. 102). -Requires an additional $50 fee for every mining claim, millsite, or tunnel site located before September 30, 1998 or after the passage of this act (Sec. 103). -Prohibits certain areas from being open to the location of mining claims, including wilderness study areas, areas of critical environmental concern, areas included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and any area included in maps made for the Forest Service Roadless Area Conservation Final Environmental Impact Statement, Volume 2 (Sec. 201). -Allows states or Indian tribes to petition the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw tracts of Federal land from the operation of mining laws in order to protect values such as watersheds that supply drinking water, wildlife habitat, cultural or historic resources, or scenic vistas important to the local economy (Sec. 202). -Requires a 20-year operations permit from the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture before mining is allowed on Federal land that may disturb surface resources such as land, air, ground water, surface water, fish, or wildlife (Secs. 302-304). -Requires operators of permits to provide financial assurance to cover the cost of restoration and reclamation of lands within the permit area and all water that may require treatment or other management of environmental hazards (Sec. 306). -Allows the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to determine regulations for mineral activity operations and reclamations, addressing issues such as the protection and replacement of topsoil; stability of surface areas; prevention of erosion; minimization of acidic, alkaline, or metal-bearing liquid drainage; removal of structures and roads; and restoration of fish and wildlife habitat (Sec. 307). -Establishes the Locatable Minerals Fund within the Treasury of the United States, to include a Hardrock Reclamation Account for the restoration of land and water resources affected by past mineral activities (Secs. 401, 411). -Allows the Secretary of the Interior or Secretary of Agriculture to halt mineral activities if the claim holder is in violation of environmental protection requirements and does not take steps to remedy the violation within 30 days, and to issue penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, plus $1,000 per violation for each day the violation has not been corrected (Sec. 506). -Sets the amount of the fine for operating mineral activities without a permit at $5,000 to $50,000 per day of violation or imprisonment up to three years for the first conviction, and a fine over $10,000 per day or up to six years imprisonment for any additional convictions (Sec. 506).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP)

Outcome: Bill Passed (265/142)

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 976 State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization

Outcome: Veto Override Failed (273/156)

Summary: -Appropriates $9.13 billion for fiscal year 2008, $10.68 billion for fiscal year 2009, $11.85 billion for fiscal year 2010, and $13.75 billion for fiscal year 2011 for CHIP (Sec. 101). -Creates an incentive pool for states whose CHIP enrollment numbers exceed baseline projections (Sec. 104). -Prohibits the issuance of CHIP waivers to non-pregnant childless adults after passage, and terminates existing waivers on September 30, 2008 (Sec. 112). -Allows a state to apply for Medicaid waivers to continue coverage for non-pregnant childless adults whose waivers have been terminated (Sec. 112). -Allows states to continue providing child health assistance to parents of eligible children under an existing waiver through 2012 and provides additional funding for states meeting certain outreach and coverage benchmarks (Sec. 112). -Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance to targeted low-income pregnant women if they have a Medicaid eligibility level for pregnant women that is at least 185 percent above the poverty level, among other requirements (Sec. 111). -Appropriates $100 million for grants to eligible private or public entities to conduct outreach efforts designed to increase CHIP enrollment among eligible children and sets aside 10 percent of the allocated money for the administration of a national CHIP enrollment campaign (Sec. 201). -Permits states to verify citizenship or nationality as a requirement for inclusion in Medicaid and CHIP programs, and requires that no funds in this act may go towards payments for individuals who are not legal residents. (Sec. 211). -Requires employers to allow 26 work weeks of leave for certain family members responsible for the care of a recovering member of the armed services, and forbids employers from denying the family member employment, promotion or benefits. (Sec. 621-622). -Increases the tax on cigars from $1.828 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigars weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from 20.719 percent of the retail price to 52.988 percent of the retail price for cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand, with a cap of $3.00 per cigar (Sec. 701 [a]). -Increases the tax from $19.50 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from $40.95 per thousand to $105.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand (Sec. 701 [b]). -Increases the taxes on cigarette paper from $0.0122 to $0.0313 per fifty papers and on cigarette tubes from $0.0244 to $0.0626 per fifty tubes (Sec. 701 [c-d]). -Increases the taxes on snuff from $0.585 to $1.50 per pound and on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.50 per pound (Sec. 701 [e]). -Increases the taxes on pipe tobacco from $1.0969 to $2.8126 per pound and on roll-your-own-tobacco from $1.0969 to $8.8889 per pound (Sec. 701 [f-g]).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 2895 National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (264/148)

Summary: -Establishes the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the Treasury of the United States (Sec. 2). -Increases the amount of funding appropriated for housing counseling under the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 by $100.00 million for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (Sec. 2). -Appropriates $25.00 million for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 20012 for increasing funding for the improvement of technology, procedures, processes, program performance, and salaries for mortgage insurance programs under the National Housing Act (Sec. 2). -Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a formula for allocating money for housing assistance among states, Indian tribes, insular areas, and local jurisdictions based on the needs and population of the area and the funding for each fiscal year (Sec. 2). -Allows organizations receiving grants from the Trust Fund to give preference to awarding affordable housing grants to first responders, public safety officers, teachers, and other eligible public employees (Sec. 2). -Requires at least 75 percent of Trust Fund grant amounts to be used for affordable housing to families whose incomes do not exceed the higher amount of either the poverty line for a family of the size involved or 30 percent of the median family income for their location (Sec. 2). -Allows a family to receive a rent contribution grant of up to 30 percent of the family's adjusted income if the rental unit is legally bound to charge a rent equal to the lesser of the existing fair market rental and 30 percent of the adjusted gross income of a family whose income is 65 percent of the median income for the area (Sec. 2). -Requires preference for housing assistance grants to be given to families who have applied to a public housing agency for assistance and been on the Section 8 or Public Housing waiting list for 12 months or longer (Sec. 2).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3056 Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (232/173)

Summary: -Abolishes laws that allow the IRS to hire private companies for the purpose of collecting taxes (Sec. 2[a]). -Provides that contracts made before July 18, 2007 may be retained, but cannot be renewed (Sec. 2[c]). -Moves the enactment date of the requirement that all levels of government withhold 3% of the payment of all contracts from January 1, 2010 to Jan 1, 2011 (Sec. 3). -Establishes that all property of an expatriate, with the exceptions of deferred compensation items, specified tax deferred accounts, and interest in a nongrantor trust, will be treated as having been sold on the day before the expatriation for its fair market value with any gain exceeding $600,000 classified as taxable income (Sec. 5 [a]). -Permits a deferment of this tax until the due date of the tax return if adequate security is provided (Sec. 5 [a]). -Provides that the payer of certain deferred compensation items to expatriates withhold 30 percent of the payment for tax purposes (Sec. 5 [a]). -Provides that 30 percent of the payment of nongrantor trusts to expatriates be withheld for tax purposes (Sec. 5 [a]). -Imposes a tax on gifts or bequests received by a United States citizen or resident from an expatriate, applicable to the extent that the gift or bequest exceeds $10,000 (Sec. 5 [b]). -Repeals a period of suspension of interest and penalties for taxpayers who have underpaid their taxes but have not been notified of their underpayment by the IRS (Sec. 6). -Increases penalties for failing to file correct tax information returns (Sec. 7).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3648 Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (386/27)

Summary: - Excludes the debt forgiven on a qualified principal residence from the definition of gross income subject to income tax (Sec. 2). - Reduces the income tax breaks on most gains from the sales of non-primary residences using a formula based on the amount of time that the taxpayer actually lived in the property during the five-year period before the sale (Sec. 5).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 976 State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization

Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (265/159)

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 1852 Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (348/72)

Summary: -Raises the maximum amount that may be approved for multi-family mortgage insurance by the FHA to 170 percent in normal cost areas and 215 percent in high cost areas (Sec. 27). -Establishes the Affordable Housing Fund to provide grants that make rent and home ownership more affordable for low-income families (Sec. 31). -Extends the term for mortgages from 35 years to 40 years (Sec. 4). -Requires mortgage companies to notify foreclosure prevention counseling services and have them contact mortgagors over 60 days late with payments to offer counseling services funded by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Secs. 10, 31). -Creates the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund to guarantee that mortgagors are being charged appropriate premiums for their risk level, to minimize the default risk to borrowers and the Fund, and to meet the housing needs of single family borrowers (Sec. 17). -Limits mortgage origination fees to 1.5 percent of the total mortgage claim (Sec. 20). - Allows the mortgagor to be rewarded the amount of the money not paid from escrow plus any penalties accrued or the penalty amount plus attorneys fees if a mortgagee or servicer fails to pay taxes, insurance premiums, or other charges from the mortgagor's escrow account (Sec. 23). -Establishes a pilot program to allow mortgagors with insufficient credit histories to obtain an alternative credit rating based on rent, utilities, and insurance payment histories (Sec. 25). -Sets the amount needed to fund housing counseling for mortgages insured under title II of the National Housing Act at $100 million for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (Sec. 31). -Authorizes the appropriation of $25 million for each fiscal year 2008 through 2012 to improve the technologies, procedures, processes, and salaries of mortgage insurance programs under title II of the National Housing Act (Sec. 31). -Prohibits any programs under the National Housing Act from charging mortgage insurance premiums above the October 1, 2006 amounts (Sec. 32).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (292/97)

Summary: -Appropriates $33.60 billion to gradually increase Pell Grant amounts to $5,400 by 2012 and maintains funding through 2017 (Sec. 102). -Incrementally lowers the current 6.8 percent interest rate for Federal Subsidized Student Loans and Federal Direct Stafford Loans every year until the rate is set at 3.4 percent for loans disbursed after July 1, 2011, and before July 1, 2012 (Sec. 201). -Establishes an auction for each state to determine the lenders who will provide Federal PLUS Loans to colleges and universities in the state, to be held every two years in order to determine the two lenders with the lowest bids for special allowance payments (Sec. 701). -Appropriates $57.00 million a year through 2011 for Upward Bound programs that did not receive funding in 2007 but have been given a grant score over 70 (Sec. 103). -Creates $4,000 a year TEACH Grants to encourage teachers to take courses in mathematics, sciences, foreign languages, bilingual education, special education, reading, and other high-need fields and requires teachers to teach the subject they took courses in for at least four years (Sec. 104). -Allows members of the military services to defer loan payments for up to 180 days after demobilization for Federal Family Education Loans, Stafford Loans, and Perkins Loans (Sec. 202). -Allows loan forgiveness for employees who have made 120 monthly payments on student loans while employed in public service (Sec. 401). -Raises the income protection allowance through 2013 to $6,000 for dependent students, $9,330 for single independent students without dependents or married independent students without dependents who are both enrolled in college, and $14,960 for married independent students where one is enrolled in college. Adopts a table detailing allowances for independent students with dependents through 2013 (Sec. 601). -Raises the maximum income required to automatically attain a zero expected family contribution from $20,000 to $30,000 a year and adjusts the required income level in future years based on the Consumer Price Index (Sec. 602). -States that if a borrower's income level is above 150 percent of the poverty line, student loan repayments can be capped at 15 percent of the amount that their income exceeds that rate (Sec. 203). -Eliminates the "exceptional performer" status through which lenders are entitled to 100 percent payment of unpaid principles and interests from guaranty agencies (Sec. 302).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 3222 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008

Outcome: Bill Passed (395/13)

Summary: -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used for publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by Congress [Title VIII (Sec. 8001)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to influence congressional action [Title VIII (Sec. 8012)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to demilitarize or dispose of M-1 Carbines, M-1 Garand rifles, M-14 rifles, .22 caliber rifles, .30 caliber rifles, or M-1911 pistols [Title VIII (Sec. 8017)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being obligated to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea unless specifically appropriated for that purpose [Title VIII (Sec. 8043)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to transfer defense articles or services to another nation or international organization without the notification of the Committee on International Relations of the House and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate at least 15 days in advance [Title VIII (Sec. 8050)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to approve or license the sale of the F-22A advanced tactical fighter to any foreign government [Title VIII (Sec. 8058)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to support a training program in a country that has been determined by the Secretary of State to have committed a gross violation of human rights, unless corrective steps have been taken [Title VIII (Sec. 8060)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq or to exercise U.S. control over Iraqi oil resources [Title VIII (Sec. 8103)]. -Prohibits appropriated funds from being used in contravention of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment [Title VIII (Sec. 8104)]. -States that all funds for ongoing overseas military operations after fiscal year 2008, including those in Afghanistan and Iraq, be included in the President's budget request to Congress [Title VIII (Sec. 8106)]. -$105.02 billion for military personnel, including pay, allowances, individual clothing, subsistence, and travel. -$135.15 billion for operation and maintenance for the armed forces. -$1.47 billion for environmental restoration for the armed forces, including the reduction and recycling of hazardous waste and the removal of unsafe buildings and debris. -$99.53 billion for procurement for the armed forces. -$75.94 billion for research, development, tests, and evaluations for the armed forces. -$22.96 billion for the Defense Health Program.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 2776 Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (221/189)

Summary: -Extends the renewable energy credit from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2013 (Sec. 101). -Adds energy derived from waves, tides, ocean currents, free flowing rivers, free flowing canals, and other marine sources to the list of qualified energy sources for the purpose of claiming renewable energy credits, unless diversionary structures such as dams or impoundments are used (Sec. 102). -Extends solar energy property credits to January 1, 2017 and fuel cell property credits to December 31, 2016 (Sec. 103). -Allows a base tax credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles of $4,000 with an additional $200 per kilowatt-hour for vehicles with a capacity above five kilowatt-hours (Sec. 201). -Phases out the hybrid tax credit a year after the number of hybrid vehicles sold totals 60,000 (Sec. 201) -Authorizes a 50 cent per gallon credit for any qualified cellulosic alcohol fuel producer (Sec. 204). -Repeals the 9 percent tax deduction for income attributable to "the sale, exchange, or other disposition of oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof" (Sec. 301). -Extends the amortization period of geological and geophysical expenditures for major integrated oil companies from 5 years to 7 years (Sec. 302). NOTE: Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 615, bill text was appended at the end of H.R. 3221 as a new matter.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) H Amdt 734 Prescription Drug Imports

Outcome: Amendment Rejected (146/283)

Summary:

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 3162 State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization

Outcome: Bill Passed (225/204)

Summary: - Requires state CHIP plans to provide a 12-month continuous eligibility option for low-income children whose family income is below 200% of the federal poverty level, effective January 1, 2008 (Sec 115). - Allows states the option of covering temporary and permanent documented immigrants under the states CHIP (Sec. 132). - Prohibits coverage of undocumented immigrants (Sec. 135). - Increases the tax on cigarettes from $19.50 to $42 per thousand on cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds, and from $40.95 to $88.20 per thousand on cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds (Sec. 1001 [a-b]). - Increases the tax on cigars that weigh less than 3 pounds per thousand from $1.828 to $42 per thousand (Sec. 1001). - Increases the tax on cigars weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand from 20.719 percent to 40 percent of the sale price, limited to $1 a cigar (Sec. 1001 [c-d]). - Increases the tax on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.42 per pound (Sec. 1001 [h]). - Dictates that federal payments for states for the fiscal year 2008 will be the greater of either the state projection of federal payments or the federal payment from 2007 multiplied by the allotment increase factor for per capita growth or child population growth (Sec. 101). - Allows unused federal payments under the Social Security Act to be redistributed to address state shortfalls (Sec. 103). - Requires state CHIP plans to cover dental care, federally qualified health centers, and rural health centers (Sec 121). - Provides a 30-day grace period for premiums on state child health plans (Sec. 123). - Extends states' optional coverage for children from age 19 to age 21 (Sec. 131). - Provides states with the option to cover pregnant women as long as the income eligibility level is at least 185 percent of the federal poverty level (Sec. 133). - Provides coverage for preventative services including prostate cancer screening tests, colorectal cancer screening tests, diabetes outpatient self management, glaucoma screening, medical nutrition therapy, physical examinations, cardiovascular screening blood tests, diabetes screenings, abdominal aneurysm screenings, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, hepatitis B vaccine administration, mammography screenings, pap smears and pelvic exam screenings, and bone mass measurement (Sec. 201). - Appropriates $300 million for fiscal years 2008-2010 to create the Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research to conduct, support, and synthesize research to determine the outcomes, effectiveness, and appropriateness of health care services (Sec. 904). - Authorizes the appropriation of $50 billion for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to provide abstinence education, mentoring, counseling, and adult supervision to promote abstinence from sexual activity (Sec. 910).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 1 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (371/40)

Summary: -Establishes the Urban Area Security Initiative to provide grants to assist high-risk urban areas in "preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism," and authorizes $5.3 billion to be appropriated through fiscal year 2012 [Title I (Sec. 101)]. -Establishes the State Homeland Security Grant Program to assist state, local, and tribal governments in "preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism," authorizes $950 million to be appropriated each fiscal year through 2012, and gradually decreases the minimum grant level per state from 0.375 percent of the total appropriated grant funds in fiscal year 2008 to 0.35 percent in fiscal year 2012 [Title I (Sec. 101)]. -Establishes the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program to assist states in carrying out initiatives to improve international emergency communications and authorizes $400 million to be appropriated each fiscal year from 2009-2012 [Title III (Sec. 301)]. -Establishes the International Border Community Interoperable Communications Demonstration Project in no fewer than six border communities, three on each border, to help identify and implement solutions to cross-border communications and cooperation [Title III (Sec. 302)]. -Requires the secretary of homeland security to establish department-wide procedures by which to receive and analyze intelligence from state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector [Title V (Sec. 501)]. -Establishes the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG) to improve interagency communications, creates an ITACG Advisory Council composed of representatives from federal agencies to set policies to improve communication within the information sharing environment, and establishes an ITACG Detail comprised of State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts to work in the National Counterterrorism Center [Title V (Sec. 521)]. -Requires the director of national intelligence to disclose the aggregate amount of appropriated funds for the National Intelligence Program within thirty days of the end of each fiscal year [Title VI (Sec. 601)]. -Requires that the secretary of homeland security, in consultation with the secretary of state, determine that a country's participation in the visa waiver program will not compromise the security and law enforcement interests of the United States, the country has cooperated with the U.S. Government in counter-terrorism initiatives, the country has demonstrated a continuing sustained reduction in the rate of visa refusals, and there is demonstrated a low visa overstay rate, before allowing its participation in the visa waiver program [Title VII (Sec. 711 [c])]. -Exempts any passenger on a bus, train, plane, or ship who, in good faith, reports terrorist or suspicious activity, from civil liability [Title XII (Sec. 1206)]. -Authorizes funding levels for various efforts of Transportation Security Administration, including $1.99 billion for railroad security, $95 million for over-the-road bus and trucking security, and $36 million for hazardous material and pipeline security through fiscal year 2011 [Title XV (Sec. 1503[a])]. -Requires that, within three years of passage, the secretary of homeland security establish a system that screens 100 percent of cargo transported on passenger aircraft [Title XVI (Sec. 1602 [a])]. -Requires all maritime cargo to be scanned by non-obtrusive imaging equipment by July 1, 2012, and allows the secretary of homeland security to extend the deadline by two year increments if certain benchmarks are not met [Title XVII (Sec. 1701 [a])].

Kucinich's Vote

-

(2007) HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill)

Outcome: Bill Passed (231/191)

Summary: -Grants $38 million in technical assistance to specialty crop producers (Sec. 3007). -Allocates $1 million each year from 2008-2012 for loans to broadband internet providers in rural areas that currently have fewer than two providers in the area (Sec. 6023). -Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to spend $991 million for the purchase of fruits, vegetables and nuts to provide nutritious foods in domestic nutrition assistance programs (Sec. 10103). -Requires that the amount of taxes on payments to a subsidiary that would be subjected to a withholding tax cannot be less than the tax amount that would be owed had the payments been made directly to the foreign parent corporation (Sec. 12001). -Establishes a table of market assistance loan rates for 20 commodities including corn, wheat, barley, oats and soybeans (Sec. 1202). -Offers incentive payments for the production of oil seeds that reduce the need for hydrogenated oil (Sec. 1211). -Supports the price of dairy products by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to buy cheddar cheese, butter and nonfat dry milk made from milk produced in the United States (Sec. 1401) -Renames the Food Stamp Program to the "Secure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" and replaces coupons used for the Food Stamp Program with electronic benefit transfer cards (EBTs) which can be used at any retail food store (Secs. 4001, 4011) -Develops the "Initiative to Address Obesity Among Low-Income Americans" by providing $10 million a year until 2012 to implement programs designed to lower the obesity rate in the United States (Sec. 4023). -Allocates $125 million for the Secretary of Agriculture to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for public schools, provided that the funding is used to buy locally grown produce wherever possible as part of the "Buy American" statutes (Sec. 4301). -Provides grants up to $50,000 for landowners who have lost private forest land due to wildfires, hurricanes, drought, windstorms, insect and disease, ice storms or invasive species to help with reforestation (Sec. 8102). -Provides $420 million for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, to award grants and financial assistance for the research of biobased fuels and products (Sec. 9006). -Grants $20 million to universities for studying the use of sweet sorghum and switchgrass as alternatives to corn in the production of ethanol fuel (Sec. 9020). -Appropriates $50 million for grants of up to $10,000 a year for farmers who convert their farms into organic farms (Sec. 10303).

Kucinich's Vote

-

(2007) HR 3093 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008

Outcome: Bill Passed (281/142)

Summary: - Prohibits the use of funds in this bill by the FBI to issue national security letters which violate The Right to Financial Privacy Act; The Electronic Communications Privacy Act; The Fair Credit Reporting Act; The National Security Act of 1947; and the laws amended by these Acts. (Title V (Sec. 523.)) - $8.97 billion to the Department of Commerce - $3.95 billion to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Operations, Research and Facilities, of which $6 million is to be used to create the Climate Change Study Committee - $17.62 billion to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with $5.7 billion for science research and development - $24.2 billion to the Department of Justice, including $1.84 billion for the drug Enforcement Administration, $1.38 billion for State and Local Enforcement Assistance, and $6.53 billion for the F.B.I. - $509.15 million for interagency crime and drug enforcement

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) H Amdt 600 Funding Reduction for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Account, Amtrak and Other Services

Outcome: Amendment Rejected (94/328)

Summary:

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Outcome: Bill Passed (276/140)

Summary: -Increases the maximum Pell Grant for which a college student is eligible from $4,310 during the 2007-2008 award year to $4,700 during the 2008-2009 award year [Title III]. -Prohibits funding in this Act from being used for the transportation of teachers or students in order to overcome a racial imbalance or carry out a racial desegregation plan in any school or school system [Title III (sec. 301)]. -Prohibits funding in this Act from being used to require a student to attend a school other than the school which is nearest to the student's home, except in the case of a student requiring special education [Title III (sec. 302)]. -Prohibits funding in this Act from being "used to prevent the implementation of programs of voluntary prayer and meditation in the public schools" [Title III (sec. 303)]. -Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being used to perform abortions or to provide health benefits coverage that includes the coverage of abortion [Title V (sec. 507)]. -Prohibits the expenditure of funds appropriated to the Department of Labor in the procurement of goods produced by forced or indentured child labor [Title I (sec. 102)]. -Requires the Secretary of Labor to issue a full monthly transit subsidy of at least $110 to each of its employees in the National Capital Region beginning September 30, 2007 [Title I (sec. 103)]. -Authorizes up to $20 million in grants to states "to address the gap in health care coverage faced by trade adjustment assistance participants and dislocated workers" [Title I (sec. 107)]. -Allows the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the Office of AIDS Research to transfer up to 3 percent of the total amount of funding among institutes for the purpose of research relating to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [Title II (sec. 208)]. -$10.25 billion for the Department of Labor. -$478.54 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, including $29.65 billion for the National Institutes of Health and $400.98 billion for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. -$64.94 billion for the Department of Education, including $16 billion for education for the disadvantaged and $12.3 billion for special education. -$43.76 billion for related agencies, including $41.80 billion for the Social Security Administration. - $63.54 million to establish the Medicare rural hospital flexibility grants program, $35 million for grant adjustments for existing community health centers, and $310.91 million for voluntary family planning projects, not to be expended for abortions. - $2.66 billion for low-income home energy assistance, $3.95 billion for child support enforcement and family support programs, $2.14 billion for child care assistance for low-income families, $6.96 billion to fund the Head Start Act through September 30, 2009, and $136.7 million to provide abstinence education.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 2641 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act

Outcome: Bill Passed (312/112)

Summary: - Prohibits the use of the appropriated funds for the creation, elimination, or alteration of funding for new or existing programs, projects, or activities unless specifically directed by this Act. Also forbids the increase or reduction of funding for programs, projects, or activities by more than $2 million or 25 percent, whichever is less [Title I (Sec. 101 [a])]. - Requires the Secretary of the Army to make a 35 percent reduction in the number of full time employees of the Sacramento District Regulatory Division off of the Corps of Engineers [Title I (Sec. 104)]. - Prohibits the usage of the appropriations of this Act or for fiscal year 2008 for any noncompetitive management and operating contract, any contract for environmental cleanup or waste management in excess of $100 million annually or any significant extension or expansion to an existing management and operating contract unless competitive procedures are used to grant these contracts or the Secretary of Energy waives these requirements on a case by case basis [Title III (Sec. 301 [a])]. - Prohibits the usage of the funds appropriated by this Act for the initiation of requests or proposals for programs that have not been funded by Congress [Title III (Sec. 302)]. - Prohibits the usage of the funds appropriated by this Act to be used for the purpose of implementing or modifying contractor employee pension and medical benefits policy [Title III (Sec. 308)]. - Prohibits the use of any funds in this Act to be used for the purpose of influencing congressional action or appropriations before Congress in any way [Title V (Sec. 501)]. - Requires that any light bulbs purchased with money appropriated by this Act must carry the "Energy Star" designation [Title V (Sec. 504)]. - $5.59 billion to the Department of Army, Army Corps of Engineers including $342.35 million to Ohio, $25.72 million to Tennessee, $126.00 million to California, and $26.81 million to Alaska. - $32.57 billion to the Department of Energy, including $213 million for hydrogen technologies, and also including $100 million for U.S. contributions to create a low-enriched uranium stockpile for an International Nuclear Fuel Bank to be used for peaceful purposes and regulated by the International Atomic Energy Agency. - $1.07 billion to the Department of Interior. - $1.00 billion to independent agencies.

Kucinich's Vote

-

(2007) HR 1851 Section 8 Voucher Adjustments Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (333/83)

Summary: -Requires biennial inspections of each assisted housing unit to make sure that the unit is maintained according to the required standards (sec. 2). -Allows the public housing agency to establish a tenant rent structure that is based on the rental value of the unit and adjusted according to inflation, is tiered according to the income-level of the tenant, and calculates the rent based on a percentage of family income (sec. 3). -Provides funding for any public housing agency that participates in the Moving to Work program or housing innovation program (sec. 6). -Allows a public housing agency to provide a down-payment assistance grant not exceeding $10,000 instead of monthly assistance payments to aid in the purchase of a home (sec. 8). -Creates the Housing Innovation Program to increase the housing opportunities for low-income families and provide financial incentives to families to obtain employment (sec. 16). -Requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to increase access for persons with limited English proficiency by developing a housing information resource center that provides translations of written materials and a toll-free customer service hotline (sec. 18). -Appropriates as much funding as is necessary to assist 20,000 dwelling units each year for the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (sec. 20).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants

Outcome: Bill Passed (273/149)

Summary: -Appropriates $20.16 billion dollars authorized for Pell Grants for the fiscal years 2008-2017 and increases student Pell Grant award eligibility by $200 each award year during the 2008-10 academic years, $300 in 2010-2011, and $500 in 2011-2012 and each subsequent academic year (Title I (sec. 101 (b))). -Increases the maximum Pell Grant award to $7,600 for the 2008-09 academic year, $8,600 for 2009-10, $9,600 for 2010-11, $10,600 for 2011-12, and $11,600 for 2012-13 (Title I (sec. 101 (b))). -Repeals existing tuition sensitivity provisions, which reduce Pell Grant eligibility for students attending lower-cost schools (Title I (sec. 101 (d))). -Reduces interest rates on Stafford and other federally backed loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over the period from 2008-2013 (Title I (sec. 111 (a))). -Increases aggregate limits on federally insured loans from $23,000 to $30,500 for undergraduate students and from $65,500 to $73,000 for graduate and professional students (Title I (sec. 112 (b))). -Reduces the percentage of student loans guaranteed by the federal student loan insurance program from 98 percent to 95 percent (Title I (sec. 115 (a))). -Lowers the loan guaranty agency collection fee from 23 percent to 16 percent of funds collected from loan defaults (Title I (sec. 116)). -Increases the loan origination fee from 0.5 percent to 1 percent of principal on loans made after October 1, 2007 (Title I (sec. 118)). -Provides for $5,000 in loan forgiveness over a period of five years for those employed in areas of national need, including early childhood educators, nurses, librarians, foreign language specialists, highly qualified teachers in bilingual education or in low-income schools, child welfare workers, speech-language pathologists, those engaged in national service, school counselors, and public sector employees (Title I (sec. 131)). -Releases public servants from federal loan obligations after 120 payments over ten years of repayment (Title I (sec. 132)). -Limits monthly payments on loans to 15 percent of the amount by which the borrower's adjusted gross income exceeds 150% of the poverty line (Title I (sec. 133)). -Provides for complete loan forgiveness for those who have experienced a period of economic hardship lasting over twenty years (Title I (sec. 133)) -Appropriates $60 million for the fiscal years 2008-2012 to institutions that have less than average annual tuition increases or guaranteed tuition to be used for additional grants from the schools for students who are also eligible for Pell grants (Title II (sec. 202)).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) H Amdt 378 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly School of the Americas) Funding Amendment

Outcome: Amendment Rejected (203/214)

Summary:

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 2638 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations

Outcome: Bill Passed (268/150)

Summary: - Holds an employer civilly liable to the government by an amount not to exceed $10,000 if they do not make a reasonable effort to collect an employee's airport security badge upon the employee's termination (Sec. 542) -$8.92 billion for United States Customs and Border Protection, including $1.00 billion for border security fencing, infrastructure, and technology. -$4.19 billion for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. -$6.55 billion for the Transportation Security Administration. -$8.17 billion for the Coast Guard. -$1.40 billion for the U.S. Secret Service. -$7.41 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including $3.20 billion for state and local programs and $1.70 billion for disaster relief.

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) H Amdt 2 Replacing Titles I and II of House Amdt 1 to HR 2206

Outcome: Amendment Adopted (280/142)

Summary: -Appropriates $350 million to the Department of Agriculture. -Appropriates $162.56 million to the Department of Justice. -Appropriates $88.69 billion to the Department of Defense. -Appropriates $63 million for the Department of Energy, Atomic Energy Defense Activities. -Appropriates $5.18 billion for the Department of State and Related Agency. -Appropriates $3.40 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, Hurricane Katrina Recovery. -States that the US Strategy in Iraq will be determined by the Iraqi Government's ability to meet specified benchmarks (Sec. 1314).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) H Amdt 1 Departmental Appropriations for Defense, Security, and Hurricane Recovery

Outcome: Amendment Adopted (348/73)

Summary: -Appropriates $12.42 billion for the Department of Defense, including $10.81 billion for non-civil operations, and $1.61 billion for civil operations. -Appropriates $1.79 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, including $1.34 billion for medical related expenses. -Appropriates $1.76 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. -Appropriates $906.02 million for the Department of Transportation. -Appropriates $713 million for the Department of Health and Human Services. -Appropriates $422.40 million for the Department of State. -Appropriates $257.50 million for the Department of Agriculture. -Appropriates $193.44 million for the Department of Justice. -Appropriates $136.19 million for the Department of the Interior. -Appropriates $170.40 million for the Department of Commerce. -Increases the federal minimum wage to $5.85 per hour on the 60th day after the enactment of HR 2206, $6.55 12 months after that 60th day, and $7.25 24 months after that 60th day (Sec. 8102). -Enacts business tax modifications, including such adjustments as extending the work opportunity tax credit to 2011, extending and increasing expensing for small business, waiving alternative minimum tax limits on work opportunity credit and credit for taxes paid on employee tips, and other adjustments (Secs. 8211, 8212, 8214).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (214/209)

Summary: -Appropriates $7.48 trillion for Social Security, including $2.95 trillion for Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. -Appropriates $3.22 trillion for national defense. -Appropriates $2.59 trillion for Medicare. -Appropriates $2.36 trillion for Income Security. -Appropriates $1.90 trillion for health. -Appropriates $572.31 billion for education, training, employment, and social services. -Appropriates $121.19 billion for agriculture. -Appropriates $9.84 billion for energy. -Establishes deficit-neutral reserve funds for SCHIP legislation, veterans and the wounded, tax relief, Medicare improvements, health care "quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency", higher education, the farm bill, energy legislation, immigration reform in the Senate, Medicaid, and other purposes. -States that the Senate cannot consider bills that would increase the budget deficit, and cannot use prior budget surplus or the Pay-As-You-Go ledger (Sec. 201). -Requires that by Sepetember 10, 2007 the House Committee on Education and Labor to report to the House changes in laws that will reduce the deficit by $750 million for the time period of fiscal years 2007 through 2012 (Sec. 601). -Requires that by September 10, 2007, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will report changes in laws to reduce the deficit by $750 million for the time period of fiscal years 2007 through 2012 (Sec. 602).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (221/205)

Summary: -Appropriates $101.93 billion for the Department of Defense. -Appropriates $6.86 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. -Appropriates $5.24 billion for the Department of State. -Appropriates $1.79 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs. -Appropriates $1.56 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services. -Appropriates $909.5 million for the Department of Agriculture. -Appropriates $717.94 million for the Department of Transportation. -Expresses the sense of the Congress that U.S. troops should be redeployed from Iraq as battalions of Iraqi security forces become able to conduct security operations on their own (Sec. 1326). -Increases the federal minimum wage to $5.85 per hour 60 days after the enactment of this bill, $6.55 per hour 12 months after that 60th day, and $7.25 per hour 24 months after that 60th day (Sec. 7102). -Addresses business tax modifications, including such adjustments as extending the work opportunity tax credit, extending and increasing expensing for small business, extending and expanding the low-income housing credit rules under the Gulf Opportunity Zone Tax for buildings in the GO zones, and other adjustments (Secs. 7211, 7212, 7222).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution

Outcome: Resolution Passed (212/207)

Summary: -Appropriates $3.21 trillion for National Defense. -Appropriates $1.96 billion for International Affairs. -Appropriates $9.25 billion for Energy. -Appropriates $120.76 billion for Agriculture. -Appropriates $567.55 billion for Education, Training, Employment and Social Services. -Appropriates $1.90 trillion for Health. -Appropriates $2.59 trillion for Medicare. -Appropriates $2.36 trillion for Income Security. -Appropriates $140.86 billion for Social Security. -Appropriates $520.51 billion for Veterans' Benefits and Services. -Assumes that certain tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 will expire in 2010 as planned. -Authorizes certain reserve funds for: (1) the State Children's Health Insurance Program; (2) alternative minimum tax revision; (3) middle-income tax relief; (4) agriculture; (5) higher education; (6) Medicare improvements; (7) creation of long-term energy alternatives; (8) affordable housing; (9) equitable benefits for Filipino veterans of World War II; (10) reauthorization of the Secure Rural School and Community Self-Determination Act; (11) receipts from Bonneville Power Administration; and (12) Transition Medical Assistance program extension. -Provides for adjustments to discretionary spending limits, budgetary aggregates, and allocations for: (1) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations by the Social Security Administration (SSA); (2) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax compliance; (3) the health care fraud and abuse control program; and (4) unemployment insurance improper payments reviews (Sec. 301). -Expresses the policy of the resolution to support extension of middle income tax relief and enhanced economic equity through policies such as: (1) extension of the child tax credit; (2) extension of tax reductions; (3) extension of the 10 percent individual income tax bracket; (4) elimination of estate taxes on all but a minute fraction of estates by reforming and substantially increasing the unified tax credit; (5) extension of the research and experimentation tax credit, (6) extension of the deduction for State and local sales taxes; (7) extension of the deduction for small business expensing; and (8) enactment of a tax credit for school construction bonds (Sec. 401). -Expresses the sense of the House that Congress should extend PAYGO in its original form in the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 in order to reduce the deficit (Sec. 508).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline

Outcome: Veto Override Failed (222/203)

Summary: -Appropriates $969.5 million for the Department of Agriculture, including $500 million for the war on terror, and $37.50 million for Emergency Farm Relief. -Appropriates $366 million for the Department of Justice, including $316 million for the war on terror, and $50 million for Katrina recovery efforts and other purposes. -Appropriates $96.96 billion for the Department of Defense, including $95.53 billion for the war on terror and $1.43 billion for Katrina recovery efforts and other purposes. -Appropriates $150 million for the Department of Energy for its efforts in the war on terror. -Appropriates $6.25 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, including $2.25 billion for the war on terror and $4 billion for Katrina recovery efforts and other purposes. -Appropriates $5.75 billion for the Department of State for its efforts in the war on terror. -Appropriates $253.4 million for the Department of Commerce, including $145 million for Katrina recovery efforts and other purposes. -Appropriates $123.19 million for the Department of Interior, including $10 million for Katrina recovery efforts and other purposes and $113.19 million for other matters. -Appropriates $913 million for the Department of Health and Human Services. -Appropriates $60 million for the Department of Education for Katrina recovery efforts and other purposes. -Appropriates $1.79 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs. -Appropriates $35 million for the Department of Transportation for Katrina recovery efforts and other purposes. -States that the funding in this bill cannot be used to establish a permanent military base in Iraq or to control oil fields in Iraq (Sec. 1311). -States that American forces will begin to be redeployed from Iraq by October 1, 2007 if the President determines that certain benchmarks are being made, or in failing to meet those benchmarks, to begin redeployment by July 1, 2007 with most being redeployed by March 2008, leaving a limited number of troops remaining to protect American personnel and infrastructure, to train and equip Iraqi forces, and to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations (Sec. 1904). -Withholds 50 percent from the Economic Support Fund and International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement Fund appropriations made in this bill if the Iraqi government does not meet certain benchmarks, including establishing a system to "equitably" share oil revenues among all Iraqis, implementing a system and schedule for provincial and local elections, and executing a plan to spend $10 billion in reconstruction projects on an "equitable" basis (Sec. 1904).

Kucinich's Vote

-

(2007) HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline

Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (218/208)

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) H Con Res 99 Congressional Budget for 2008

Outcome: Resolution Passed (216/210)

Summary: -Appropriates $3.21 trillion for National Defense. -Appropriates $1.96 billion for International Affairs. -Appropriates $9.25 billion for Energy. -Appropriates $120.76 billion for Agriculture. -Appropriates $567.55 billion for Education, Training, Employment and Social Services. -Appropriates $1.90 trillion for Health. -Appropriates $2.59 trillion for Medicare. -Appropriates $2.36 trillion for Income Security. -Appropriates $140.86 billion for Social Security. -Appropriates $520.51 billion for Veterans' Benefits and Services. -Authorizes certain reserve funds for: (1) the State Children's Health Insurance Program; (2) alternative minimum tax revision; (3) middle-income tax relief; (4) agriculture; (5) higher education; (6) Medicare improvements; (7) creation of long-term energy alternatives; (8) affordable housing; (9) equitable benefits for Filipino veterans of World War II; (10) reauthorization of the Secure Rural School and Community Self-Determination Act; (11) receipts from Bonneville Power Administration; and (12) Transition Medical Assistance program extension. -Assumes that certain tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 will expire in 2010 as planned. -Provides for adjustments to discretionary spending limits, budgetary aggregates, and allocations for: (1) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations by the Social Security Administration (SSA); (2) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax compliance; (3) the health care fraud and abuse control program; and (4) unemployment insurance improper payments reviews (Sec. 301). -Expresses the policy of the resolution to support extension of middle income tax relief and enhanced economic equity through policies such as: (1) extension of the child tax credit; (2) extension of tax reductions; (3) extension of the 10 percent individual income tax bracket; (4) elimination of estate taxes on all but a minute fraction of estates by reforming and substantially increasing the unified tax credit; (5) extension of the research and experimentation tax credit, (6) extension of the deduction for State and local sales taxes; (7) extension of the deduction for small business expensing; and (8) enactment of a tax credit for school construction bonds (Sec. 401). -Expresses the sense of the House that Congress should extend PAYGO in its original form in the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 in order to reduce the deficit (Sec. 508).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline

Outcome: Bill Passed (218/212)

Summary: -Appropriates $207.26 billion to the Department of Defense, including $1.34 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers for construction and flood control. -Appropriates $5.90 billion to the Department of State. -Appropriates $1.42 billion to the Department of Agriculture. -Appropriates $810 million to the Department of Health and Human Services. -Appropriates $6.81 billion to the Department of Homeland Security. -Appropriates $1.73 billion to the Department of the Interior. -Appropriates $155 million to the Department of Commerce. -Appropriates $158 million to the Department of Justice. -Appropriates $150 million to the Department of Energy for Defense Nuclear nonproliferation. -Appropriates $80 million to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for tenant-based rental assistance. -Appropriates $63 million to the Legislative Branch. -Appropriates $25 million to the Small Business Administration for the Disaster Loans Program Account. -Appropriates $10 million to the Office of the Inspector General. -Prohibits funds appropriated in this or any other Act from being used to (1) establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq, or (2) to exercise United States control over any oil resource of Iraq (Sec. 1311). -Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being used in contravention to the laws and regulations enacted to implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Sec. 1313). -Requires that the Secretary of Defense submit a report once a month until October 1, 2008, to the Congressional Defense Committees, that contains individual transition readiness assessments by unit of Iraq and Afghan security forces. (Sec. 1314). -Prohibits funds appropriated in Chapter 3 of this Act from being obligated or expended to provide award fees to any defense contractor contrary to the provisions of section 814 of the National Defense Authorization Act, FY 2007. (Sec. 1315). -Prohibits funds appropriated in this or any other Act from being used to deploy any unit of the Armed Forces to Iraq unless they have been certified in writing to the Committees on Appropriations and the Committees on Armed Services that the unit is fully mission capable. (Sec. 1901). -Prohibits funds appropriated in this or any other Act from being used to initiate the development of, continue the development of, or execute any order that extends the deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom beyond 365 days for any unit of the Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard (Sec. 1902). -Prohibits funds appropriated in this or any other Act from being used to initiate the development of, continue the development of, or execute any order that extends the deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom beyond 210 days for any unit of the Marine Corps or Marine Corps Reserve. (Sec. 1902). -Requires that the President make and transmit to Congress determinations on or before July 1, 2007 stating: (1) whether the Government of Iraq has given United States Armed Forces and Iraqi Security Forces the authority to pursue all extremists, (2) whether the Government of Iraq is making substantial progress in meeting its commitment to pursue reconciliation initiatives, and (3) whether the Government of Iraq and United States Armed Forces are making substantial progress in reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq. (Sec. 1904). -States that if in the transmissions to Congress required by Title I, Chapter 9, Sec. 1904 (a) the president determines that the conditions have not been met, or if the president is unable to make the certification, the Secretary of Defense shall commence redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq and complete such redeployment within 180 days (Sec. 1904). -Expresses the gratitude of Congress and the American people to the members of the United States Armed Forces (Sec. 1907). -Acknowledges the president as the commander in chief, and that Congress has the power solely to declare war (Sec. 1908). -Requires that certain heads of executive agencies develop and implement a plan to minimize the use of contracts entered into using procedures other than competitive procedures. (Sec. 5001). -Requires that certain heads of executive agencies develop and implement a plan to minimize the use of cost-reimbursement type contracts (Sec. 5002). -Raises the minimum wage to (A) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after the date of enactment, (B) $6.55 an hour beginning 12 months after that 60th day, and (C) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day (Sec. 7102).

Kucinich's Vote

N

(2007) HR 6 Energy Act of 2007

Outcome: Bill Passed (264/163)

Summary: -Denies a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products (Sec. 102). -Defines conditions of new leases authorizing oil or natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, requiring lessees to have: (1) renegotiated covered leases to change payment responsibilities to include price thresholds equal to or less than specified price thresholds; or (2) paid all conservation of resources fees or agreed to pay them (Sec. 204). -Establishes fees for producing and nonproducing federal oil and gas leases in Gulf of Mexico (Sec. 204). -Repeals incentives for natural gas production from wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Sec. 205). -Creates reserve of funds received as result of this Act, that will be used to offset costs of accelerating the use of renewable energy resources and alternative fuels (Sec. 301).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) HR 1 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act

Outcome: Bill Passed (299/128)

Summary: -Provides that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security will supply grants to states, urban areas, regions, or directly eligible tribes to be used to improve the ability for first responders to react to and prevent terrorist attacks. -Appropriates funds to the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration for the purpose of opposing terrorism. -States that all cargo transported on passenger aircraft must be inspected. -Establishes the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. -Establishes the State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative and the Homeland Security Information Sharing Fellows Program. -Requires reports on the implementation of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations in regard to the detention and treatment of captured terrorists.

Kucinich's Vote

Y

(2007) H Res 6 Pay-As-You-Go Rule

Outcome: Resolution Passed (280/152)

Summary: -Makes it out of order to consider any legislation unless the report includes a list of congressional earmarks and the name of the requesting Member (Sec. 404). -Provides for information and written disclosures to be made available regarding any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits included in any legislation or conference report (Sec. 404). -Defines limited tax benefit as: (1) any revenue-losing provision that provides federal tax deduction, credit, exclusion, or preference to 10 or fewer beneficiaries under the Internal Revenue Code; or (2) any federal tax provision which provides one beneficiary temporary or permanent transition relief from a change to such Code (Sec. 404). -Defines limited tariff benefit as a provision modifying the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States in a manner that benefits 10 or fewer entities (Sec. 404). -Makes it out of order to consider any amendment to, resolution on, or conference report on the budget that reduces the surplus or increases the deficit for the current fiscal year and the five or 10 ensuing fiscal years (Sec. 405).

Kucinich's Vote

Y

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