House of Representatives
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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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(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):-$70.88 billion for infrastructure and jobs investment, including, but not limited to, the following:-$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; -$19.5 billion for surface transportation extension; and
-$454 million for unemployment and "other emergency needs," $354 million of which is offset by rescissions of appropriations to the Converter Box Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for WIC. -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 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) 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 |
(2008) HR 5811 Electronic Communications Preservation Act
Outcome: Bill Passed (286/137)
Summary: -Requires that the Archivist of the United States develop regulations governing the preservation of Presidential and federal agency electronic messages, including regulations that require the electronic capture, management, and preservation of electronic messages, regulations that require electronic messages to be made accessible through electronic searches, and regulations that establish a process to certify that electronic records management systems used by the President and federal agencies meet functional requirements (Secs. 2,3).
-Requires the Archivist of the United States to annually certify whether the records management controls established by the President meet applicable requirements (Sec. 3).
-Requires that, "to the extent practicable", the Archivist of the United States establish requirements for the capture, management, and preservation of electronic records other than standard electronic messages (Sec. 2). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2008) HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments
Outcome: Bill Passed (293/129)
Summary: -Prohibits the targeting of any United States persons who are reasonably believed to be located outside of the United States without the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Sec. 101).
-Prohibits the targeting of any person located outside of the United States with the intention of gaining information about a person located within the United States (Sec. 101).
-Prohibits the acquisition of any communications in which the sender and all recipients are reasonably believed to be within the United States (Sec. 101).
-Requires the Attorney General and the Director of National Security to provide the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court with a written certification and any supporting affidavit prior to the employment of electronic surveillance (Sec. 101).
-Allows the authorization of foreign surveillance under "emergency" or time-limited circumstances without preliminary Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approval provided that relevant applications or certifications are presented to the Court no later than 7 days after the authorization of such surveillance (Sec 101).
-Releases electronic communication providers from liability with regards to civil action that may be brought up in any court due to assistance provided to the government in obtaining electronic surveillance if such assistance was authorized by the President before January 17, 2007 or if such assistance was the subject of written directions from the Attorney General or heads of the intelligence community indicating that the activity was lawful (Sec. 201).
-Mandates that the certification for reauthorization of surveillance orders already in effect must be submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the previous authorization (Sec. 101).
-Requires the Inspectors General of the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency, the Department of Defense, and the Inspector General of any intelligence agency that participated in the President's Surveillance Program to submit a comprehensive report to congress within one year of the enactment of this legislation regarding oversight authority, the responsibility of each such Inspector General, and information regarding the implementation and use of the program (Sec. 301). |
Kucinich's Vote
N |
(2008) HR 3773 Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (213/197)
Summary: -Requires that the guidelines adopted by the Attorney General in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence related to compliance with the limitations on intelligence targeting authorizations shall be submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, as well as the Congressional intelligence and judiciary committees (Sec. 101).
-Allows the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence to direct electronic communication service providers to provide the government with assistance in acquiring intelligence as authorized in accordance with the provisions of this bill and releases electronic communication service providers from any liability resulting from compliance with a such a directive (Sec. 101).
-Mandates that the Attorney General provide semiannual reports to the Congressional intelligence and judiciary committees regarding the implementation of provisions of this bill (Sec. 101).
-Specifies that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court shall have authority to review and approve applications and enter orders to target "United States persons" who are reasonably believed to be located outside of the United States for intelligence acquisition (Sec. 101).
-Requires the Inspectors General of the Department of Justice, the Office of the National Director of Intelligence, the National Security Agency, and other elements of the intelligence community to review the intelligence activities involving communications that were authorized at any time between September 11, 2001 and January 17, 2007 (Sec. 110).
-Mandates that the Attorney General provide any relevant request or directive to the court in any civil case alleging that a person aided an element of the intelligence community as a result of such a directive or request during the time period from September 11, 2001, to January 17, 2007 (Sec. 201).
-Establishes the Commission on Warrantless Electronic Surveillance Activities within the legislative branch, to be composed of five members appointed jointly by the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and four members appointed jointly by the Minority Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and which will be charged with evaluating the legal justification for activities related to intelligence collection that occurred between September 11, 2001, and January 17, 2007 (Sec. 301).
-Note: Under United States Code (50 U.S.C. 1801) a "United States person" is defined as "a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 1101 (a)(20) of title 8), an unincorporated association a substantial number of members of which are citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or a corporation which is incorporated in the United States, but does not include a corporation or an association which is a foreign power, as defined in subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this section." |
Kucinich's Vote
N |
(2007) HR 3773 Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act
Outcome: Bill Passed (227/189)
Summary: -States that a court order is not necessary for electronic surveillance of any communications between persons who are not known to be United States persons and who are reasonably believed to be outside of the United States (Sec. 2).
-Requires the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence to apply to the court established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) for a court order to conduct surveillance for up to a year on the communications of a non-United States person who is reasonably believed to be outside the of United States and who may be communicating with persons inside the United States (Sec. 3).
-States that the application for a court order from the court established under FISA is not required to identify specific places of surveillance (Sec. 3).
-Allows that in emergency situations, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence to authorize surveillance for up to 45 days of non-United States persons who are reasonably believed to be outside of the United States and who may be communicating with someone inside the United States, but that within seven days, an application must be filed for approval from the court established under FISA (Sec. 4).
-Requires that within seven days of an application to the court established under FISA, the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General must submit to Congress a copy of the application and a copy of the court order if one is granted (Sec. 5).
-Prohibits the disclosure of information obtained from surveillance that would identify a United States person unless such information is necessary to understand the foreign intelligence collected or to protect the national security of the United States or members of the Armed Forces (Sec. 6).
-States that FISA is the only means by which foreign electronic surveillance may be conducted (Sec. 9).
-States that the Attorney General may authorize surveillance without a court order for up to 15 days following a declaration of war by Congress if Congress specifically authorizes such surveillance without an order or if Congress is unable to convene because of an attack against the United States (Sec. 10).
-States that the government must inform the communications service providers used to conduct surveillance that the requirements of this law have been met (Sec. 19).
-Note: Under United States Code (50 U.S.C. 1801) a "United States Person" is defined as "a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 1101 (a)(20) of title 8), an unincorporated association a substantial number of members of which are citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or a corporation which is incorporated in the United States, but does not include a corporation or an association which is a foreign power, as defined in subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this section." |
Kucinich's Vote
- |
(2007) HR 1908 Patent Reform Act of 2007
Outcome: Bill Passed (220/175)
Summary: -Prevents people from obtaining patents for claimed inventions that have already had patent applications filed by a different inventor (Sec. 3).
-Allows a patent to be disputed up to 12 months after its issue or its published application date and requires the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to approve settlement claims (Sec. 3).
-Permits a challenged patent owner to amend patent drawings, substitute the claim, or cancel the claim (Sec. 6).
-States that any person may submit with their patent record any existing patents, published patent applications, or other publications of relevance (Sec. 9).
-Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to submit a report to Congress on the operation of prior use rights in other industrialized countries (Sec. 5).
-Authorizes the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to award damages of three times the regular amount if a person is found guilty of willful infringement by continuing to use a patented product or idea after receiving written notification from the current patent owner (Sec. 5).
-Requires a review of the effectiveness of the patent amendments set out in this bill to be submitted to Congress every seven years (Sec. 3). |
Kucinich's Vote
N |
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