HR 2673 passes in Senate

[Dr.Phool]

Sorry sbout the Headline, but I just finished watching the final vote on C-Span2. Our being screwed was my only reaction.

HR2673 was the Conference deformed Omnibus Appropriations Bill which contained all the goodies the Bush Administration wanted.

Loss of overtime protection for over 8 million workers, including police, firefighters, etc.

Privatizing the Air Traffic Control system.

Delaying by 2 years the country of origin for food.

Requiring the FBI to destroy gun purchase documents in 24 hours.

Allowing more media consolidation.

[Homer12]

1. The noose tightens around the neck of Patriotic opposition.

[Langis]

2. Spineless Dems

I am getting sick of this shit! Why do they let them get away with this crap?

[Gin]

4. I'm surprised the police and law enforcement arent making more

noise about the gun registration part. That's as seriuos as any other part.

[Dr.Phool]

5. Police strike?

And to think these guys are gonna want police protection when they have their convention in New York. No wonder Tom DeLay wants to rent a cruise ship to stay on.

[slackmaster]

7. What "gun registration" part?

I didn't know there was any gun registration issue in the bill.

[ikojo]

53. The reason a lot of cops don't make a big deal

out of the gun registraion provisions is because many of them are strong supporters of gun rights and the NRA.

[hang a left]

9. "Spineless Dems" my ars

They are in on it. Don't you get it?

[BeHereNow]

19. THANK you!

Finally, someone tells it like it is.
We are doomed and there is NO
white knight in sight.
Just endless swarms of flying monkeys....
Remember that scene in the Wizard of Oz.
The projector is looping the film at that exact moment.
BHN

[joeunderdog]

52. Can someone post a link on Freeperville?

They somehow don't have this on their site yet. Musta missed it...

[54anickel]

3. Here's a bit more info. They are using the excuse of lost NIH funding

if it didn't pass. Gee like they really give a rat's butt about health care issues when you look at the food labeling and mad cow issues. :eyes:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040121/04/

snip>
The House approved the measure in December but many senators—Republicans and Democrats alike—refused to rush the bill through. Republicans had hoped to vote to approve the fiscal year (FY) 2004 consolidated budget bill on the Senate's first day in session from holiday recess yesterday (January 20), but failed to muster the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and bring the to bill to a vote. Still, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) yesterday predicted the Senate would pass the delayed budget bill within the next week or two, despite reservations concerning such politically contentious provisions as country of origin food labeling, overtime rules, and television station ownership.

Republicans yesterday warned that the unpalatable alternative to passing the budget bill would be to have a yearlong continuing resolution freezing spending for the fiscal year that began October 1, 2003, at the previous year's levels. “The alternatives before us are to pass this appropriations bill or by the end of the month, if we are not successful, to have a continuing resolution for the course of the year,” warned Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). Should that happen, Frist said, the NIH stands to lose around $1 billion.

[displacedtexan]

6. That lost NIH funding

pays my spouse's salary and funds kids' non-violence programs... and that's not all, of course.
I'm really torn between standing up for what's right and being able to pay the bills.

[54anickel]

10. It would have simply froze the funding to last years. Removing the 3.7%

increase. I don't think it would have been catastrophic.

The FY 2004 consolidated conference bill (HR 2673) would give the NIH $27.98 billion, a 3.7% increase of $1 billion over last year's appropriation and $318.6 million more than the White House had requested. NSF would receive $5.6 billion, an increase of $300 million over last year and $130 million more than requested by the White House. These amounts are before an across-the-board 0.59% budget cut imposed on most programs and projects. After the reduction, NIH's net increase would be around $800 million.

[baby_bear]

14. Your wife's salary would not have been threatened, would it?

For the federal agencies and departments affected, including the one I work for, people have been being paid since the beginning of FY94 (Oct 1) via a continuing resolution.

If hers is a new job funded only by this bill, that would be different.

I was against passing the bill because of the meddling that the White HOuse did with the conference committee. This is legislation by the executive branch. It is unconsitutional, in spirit and practice.

s_m

[0007]

8. I watched in a state of hopelessness!

This is truly disheartening. I can't believe it!

[aquart]

11. The Presidency is only one part of the problem.

What member of this Congress would you really like to keep?

[DiverDave]

12. If you get to talk to any of

those basterds, get ready for the line.
This line: "I tried to do something about it, but couldnt"

You gotta call "BULLSHIT" on that.
They didn't do anything.

[Frodo]

15. Well, no, in this case they probably couldn't.

Omnibus consolodation budget bills cannot be filibustered.

I dont' know what the vote was, but if the pukes held the line there would be nothing we could do.

That's one of the reason so much cr@p gets through during the year. It's "compromise with us now, or we add this stuff into the omnibus bill at the end of the session and get what we want anyway."

[ElsewheresDaughter]

27. here's why we lost...these fuckers mised the vote!!!!!!!!

Baucus (D-MT)
Dayton (D-MN)
Edwards (D-NC)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lieberman (D-CT)

[NewJerseyDem]

30. It doesn't matter if they miss the vote

The republicans needed 60 votes to invoke cloture. It doesn't matter how many people vote against it. Anyway, Inouye would have voted for it and I don't know about Baucus and Dayton.

[NewJerseyDem]

31. I think you can filibuster this bill

They can't filibuster the annual budget bill but this was just an omnibus appropriations bill which is completely different. Otherwise, there wouldn't have to be a cloture vote so a filibuste was a definitel possiblility. They successfully filibustered it a couple of days ago and they could have done it again if they wanted to.

[tsakshaug]

13. We need to use this

How many people that have lost overtime voted for Bush last time? They should now realize he is not for them and switch to vote him out. Law enforcment should be upset about the gun registration part, and wait until the air traffic becomes a big mess and costs more.
When do these provisions come into being?
this may be the straw that breaks the bush's back.

We need to remind people that this was done by the republicans. remind them every day.

[joeunderdog]

47. Dems should hammer on this in tonight's debate. ATTACK ON AMERICA

Weakening safety for citizens with no measurable gains by gun law changes/loosening of safeguards.

Getting rid of OT: Workers will have to leave families for longer work weeks because companies will hire fewer workers to do the same number of hours to save on wages and benefits. This will destroy families. Two employees will now do the work of 3. What an outrage.

Dems should put this on a frickin poster tonight:

"RAID ON FAMILIES"

[ikojo]

50. I doubt the Dems will say anything...well maybe

Kucinich will but the others, fuggedaboutit. NONE of them has had to work for a paycheck and depend upon that same check to make ends meet. They get weeks long breaks at Christmas and during the summer. They have ABSOLUTELY NO idea what the majority of Americans experience on a daily basis.

There is one party...the bosses party with two branches serving the same master.

[GinaMaria]

16. vouchers too?

was that left in there?

[soup]

33. Yes. Vouchers, too.

Why do I feel like I'm a character in the Wizard of Oz of a sudden?

"Toto, too?"
"Yes. Toto, too."


Here's a snip:

Senate Approves Landmark School Voucher Plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved the country's first federally funded educational voucher scheme, which will enable some poor public school students in Washington D.C. to attend private schools.

The controversial voucher plan, so-called because it gives the families of around 2,000 eligible Washington students vouchers worth up to $7,500 each for private school tuition, was part of a delayed 2004 budget bill that passed 65-28.

President Bush (news - web sites) backs the idea but it is strongly opposed by many Democrats who say it will undermine public schools and is unfair to students left behind. Local civic leaders and parents in Washington are divided over the issue.

The five-year pilot project approved for the capital will be the country's first such federally funded plan for primary education. A handful of locally funded voucher programs across the country have stirred deep controversy.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=6&u=/nm/20040122/ts_nm/congress_vouchers_dc

[GinaMaria]

60. Homeowners shouldn't be divided over the issue

Property taxes fund public schools. While most people consider it a civic duty to fund public education, there is a return on investment ROI. If your neighborhood schools improve or do well or do extremely well as is the case in my area, Your property values increase. Your property tax will increase as well, but that goes right back to your neighborhood especially the schools and the circle begins another rotation. Taking homeowners property taxes out of the public schools and giving them to students to pay for private education, which probably isn't near your neighborhood and does not benefit your property values, is republican robbery of homeowners.

The schools in my area have been so highly rated, that people are fighting to move into this area. My property values have increased 4x's what I paid. This is a tremendous benefit to the tax payer. There is no benefit to the tax payer in a voucher system.

I have no civic responsibility to pay for someone's private education. End of story. Republicans have no shame that they would so easily deplete homeowners property values. Thieves every last one of them.

Off my soapbox now.

[xchrom]

17. what the hell?!?

i saw this on c-span and simply could not believe my ears.
i know why they didn't stand against -- so as not to give rove an issue.
but no way should we be able to a dem congress and senate and presidency will dems be able to UNDO the damage done by this bill.
you simply cannot convince that dems see themselves beholden to the corporate state more than they do citizens.
worse -- i no longer think they see themselves as fellow citizens.

[BeHereNow]

21. Now you are getting somewhere...

When you begin to understand that they
absolutely do NOT see themselves as fellow citizens,
you will fully comprehend the horror of the situation.
There are no "citizens" in their minds.
There are "haves" and "have nots."
Guess which ones we are?
The "haves" fully intend to keep.
We lose.
Game over.
BHN

[baby_bear]

18. Here are the votes

These are the senators who voted to cut off debate, leading to the subsequent vote on the bill:
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Breaux (D-LA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hollings (D-SC)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McConnell (R-KY)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Miller (D-GA)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-NE)
Nickles (R-OK)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Schumer (D-NY)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

I believe I count 16 Dems in there.
Ensign, McCain and Snowe were the only Republicans who voted against.
Lieberman, Kerry and Edwards did not vote (no surprise there).

The roll call vote for the final vote on the bill itself is not available at the senate.gov site. At least not yet.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_108_2.htm

s_m

[xchrom]

20. grrrr--aggghhh, feinstein again!

damn it!

[baby_bear]

23. Yes, Feinstein is getting predictable isn't she?

And my own Patty Murrary is on there as well.

*sigh*

[Zomby Woof]

57. Murray is chickenshit

She is up for re-election this year and fears a race with Jennifer Dunn, or just outright being kicked out. Ironic that McCain is one of my senators now and he showed more spine. :crazy:

[Duncan Grant]

39. And Schumer (D-NY) too!

Feinstein I can believe, but what's up with Schumer on this one? :wtf:

[LifeDuringWartime]

46. thats what i was wondering

n/t

[salin]

26. Bayh voted AGAINST *whew*

funny thing - suddenly on close votes he has refound his democratic roots. For a year or so after 9-11 he seemed to be wandering more. Almost as if he knows that while he is very popular with the overall state... he has been becoming less popular with his own party within the state. I am glad to welcome Bayh (who voted against this, against the Medicare prescription drungs {and BIG supporter - state employer Eli Lilly), and I believe continues to be against the energy bill.

I have been a critic of my Senator - but it is time to give credit where credit is due.

[Loonman]

22. Freeper dumbos find way to blame Dems when Dems opposed this

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1063048/posts


If these people had brains they'd be dangerous.

[Hav]

24. hm

I see more and more conservatives being upset about Bush and all the spending,of course I guess it needs a lil bit more to make them consider their vote.


"With 'victories' like this, who needs defeats?"


"Bush made a promise to the American people to practice fiscal responsibility. He's a liar just like Clinton.

However, I am thinking right now that I would RATHER have Clinton. See, Clinton was a liar for sure, but what did he do for 8 years? NOTHING! Dems don't want to spend money. they just want to talk about spending. If they spent, then they'd have nothing to talk about. Republicans on the other hand seem to want to spend like hell while they are saying out loud that they are NOT for big government.

And when presidents do NOTHING, my freedom doesn't suffer as much as if they are out there scrambling to get ahold of my last dollar, and give it to someone else. I am sick of Bush, and I am sick of him acting like he is on a Toys-R-Us spending spree with MY money.

I do not mind for a second paying my share of what is needed to ensure America is safe, but this is ridiculous."

[salin]

28. they say the "rats" shouldn't blame the GOP... er... who runs congress

AND the white house? Some of those posters are rather clueless.

[DiverDave]

63. Another death threat

To: CholeraJoe
Please forgive my feeble attempt at humor. If the government would give me as much money as they gave this study, I'd go kill 'em one by one.

102 posted on 01/22/2004 6:23:17 PM PST by AuntB (REFORM SS DISABILITY: http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html)

But since it was a PATRIOTIC threat, it is O.K.

These people are sick.
I gotta go wash my hands, I feel dirty.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

25. remember these 6 bums that MISSED this vote....grrrrrrrrrr

Baucus (D-MT)
Dayton (D-MN)
Edwards (D-NC)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lieberman (D-CT)

[Owl]

29. Dayton!

He missed the vote? What is his inexcusable excuse?

[xxqqqzme]

32. meanwhile the solicting senators

R telling the working stiffs why they should support them but Kerry, Edwards 'n Lieberman just gave overtime away. Don't look now but rove is salivating over this one!

[NewJerseyDem]

71. The didn't give it away

Most people don't seem to understand that cloture requires 60 votes no matter what. It doesn't matter if they were there. There was NOTHING they could do.

[Snappy]

34. OT Pay

Loss of overtime protection for over 8 million workers, including police, firefighters, and nurses etc.

This will be devastating to millions of families.

It is SHAMEFULL!!!!

[DoYouEverWonder]

35. Why do our supposed reps even bother anymore?

They are beyond pathetic. I feel like we are living in the final days of the roman empire. The rules of logic no longer apply.

[bluedog]

36. question

do these overtime rules go into effect before or after the election??

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

37. Another question

What exactly is this "loss of overtime protection"? Employers can force people to work for free, or what?

[mbperrin]

40. Yes, pretty well. People can now be classified as a different kind

of salaried employee so that even when they work more than 40 hours per week, they receive no additional pay.

[Sentath]

45. Not exactly for free

Overtime is part of the 40hr work week.

Work should end at 40 hours and anything past that is eating into time that the employed should have spent elsewhere and therefore deserves higher compensation for. Usually 150% of the employed's standard per hour pay rate.

[ikojo]

54. Elaine Chao and Bush want the changes in OT pay

to take effect in May and supposedly have said there will be no extension of that deadline.

[joeunderdog]

68. Better sooner than later. Let voters vote their wallets. n/t

[salin]

70. I thought I read that Chao and the Dept were already planning

to provide services to employers to figure out how to take advantage of this rule change.

It is shameful when the Dept Labor becomes the Dept of How to Screw Labor.

[Neecy]

38. and a further crime...

the way this vote is being reported on CNN (twice, now) is that this spending bill funds veterans, agriculture, etc and has finally passed after 'months' of Democratic 'delaying tactics' who 'opposed these things' (pretty much verbatim from Woodruff today).

NOTHING said about the 8 million Americans who lost their overtime in this bill, or the media consolidation, or the NRA giveaway that will allow guns in the hands of criminals. NO, we opposed veterans spending! What f'in crap!

The fix for November is in.

[NickB79]

55. Gve-away?

"te NRA giveaway that will allow guns in the hands of criminals."

Where do you get that from? This doesn't remove the background checks, it just means they're destroyed 24 hrs after they're processed. The checks are still performed. How will this allow guns into the hands of criminals?

[moof]

56. Because with the old 90 day time frame,

there were cases where it was found that people that had been approved had scammed the process & could still be caught up.

Source PBS Newshour segment Jan. 22, 2004

[laylah]

41. Greedy, dishonorable,

cheating, insidious, power hungry, freedom hating, bourgeois, repugnant, reprehensible, Constitution shredding, low life, amoeba bastards from Hell! :mad:

Jenn

[laylah]

42. a kick for the evening crew...n/t

[bluedog]

43. found the OT provision

from afl-cioo web was on before the vote..has anything changed or been added?


In fact, under the Bush proposal, a worker eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) could be ineligible to receive overtime pay. (A single worker making less than $33,178 and caring for two or more children could be eligible for the EITC, a federal income tax credit for low-income workers.)

The Bush overtime proposal to change overtime regulations would deny overtime pay and the protections of the 40-hour workweek to millions of workers. It would affect a wide range of the approximately 80 million workers currently protected by making it much easier for employers to claim that these employees are exempt from overtime pay.

Under the Bush overtime scheme:

Millions of salaried workers making between $22,101 and $65,000 who now are eligible to receive overtime pay could be reclassified as executives or administrative or professional employees—and would no longer qualify for overtime pay.
Relatively low-salary earners who have supervisory responsibilities or management-related responsibilities would be penalized, as would workers with advanced education or specialized training. Some of the jobs affected are police, firefighters, nurses, retail managers, insurance claims adjusters and medical therapists.
Employees not covered by the new rules also could be hurt: By reclassifying many of their workers as exempt from overtime pay, employers most likely would assign overtime only to them and eliminate overtime for other workers. Police and firefighters are among those potentially affected.

Anyone making $65,000 or more a year likely would lose overtime pay, effectively eliminating many middle-income wage earners’ much-needed extra pay.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s own estimates, the Bush administration’s proposed rule changes could mean between 2.1 million and 3.3 million workers would face unpredictable work schedules because of an increased demand for extra hours for which employers would not have to pay time-and-a-half.


The Bush administration claims its plan would give overtime protections to more workers by allowing anyone who earns $22,100 or less to automatically qualify for overtime pay. But many of those workers, such as fast-food employees, already are covered.

Many working families depend on overtime to pay bills—especially during the current economic

[reprobate]

44. The United States of America.. RIP

Does anyone know when this will take effect?

One has to wonder just how much more the people will take from these bastards. The last time this kind of thing happened was in france in 1789, and what happened there could well happen here. The arrogence factor is the same in both cases.

The thing that really grates on me is the fact that they keep pushing these anti democracy things thru with absolutely no fear of reprisal from anyone.

This is now officially a third world country.

[joanski01]

48. I do believe that Elaine Chao

Sec. of Labor, wants the overtime rules to come into effect in May. She said in Sen. Specter's hearing the other day that she didn't want to extend the deadline.

This rule also affects veterans. The rule says that if soldiers get training in the military, that counts as a college degree and they will not be eligible for overtime.

I can't believe that all those Dem Senators let the Repukes get away with this. They wanted their share of the pork, that's for sure.

[ikojo]

51. How much do you want to bet that the Dems

who didn't bother showing up and those who prostrated themselves for Bush say they will now work for changes in the law?!

WHY THE FARK DIDN'T THEY VOTE AGAINST IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?!!!!

Screw trying to fix the legislation now that it has passed. The pugs will never allow fixes to be passed. They and their big business buddies got what Ashcroft has been working on since he first went to the Senate...elimination of overtime pay.

The two party system is an illusion in the US.

One business party none for working Americans.

[ikojo]

49. Only 32 Senators voted against Bush's desires...

The 61–32 vote that ended the filibuster against the omnibus appropriations bill was one vote more than needed to meet the 60-vote threshold to shut off debate. Congressional backers of the overtime pay guarantee say they will find another legislative avenue to block the Bush administration’s changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that would cost 8 million workers their overtime pay protection under the FLSA.


http://afl-cio.org/yourjobeconomy/overtimepay/ns01222004.cfm

Once overtime pay is lost it will be hard to get it back. The fight has been taken out of Americans for the most part. I hope I am wrong but back in the 1980s people were up in arms about having to urinate into a cup to get a job, now look at how routine that is and few complain.

Welcome to 1904 people.

[Virginian]

58. Did the contract for Air Traffic Controllers get awarded to Haliburton yet

With no overtime pay, Haliburton can work their employees 16 hour shifts and really screw up the skies. Better yet, that work can be done in India and save Cheney's cronies some big bucks.

What? You thought Air traffic controllers had to work at the airport? Nah, they can work in a crowded, smoke filled room in Madras doing twice the work of an American at 1/10 the salary of an American. With no child labor laws, Haliburton can even hire a five year old to watch the pretty blips on the screens and make decisions that impact the lives of so many. (Sometimes I wish Al Gore hadn't created the internet.)

[Systematic Chaos]

59. Your post would be freakin' hillarious

if it wasn't both so tragic and so true.

[annagull]

61. Gawdawful what's in this bill

Number one is (to me) is the overtime rules. When oh when will a Dem knock Bush over the head with outsourcing?

[dusty64]

62. I DEMAND an opposition

party!

[Lost4words]

64. I cant tell the diff between pukes and Dem's anymore.

here we go marching to surfdom. It could be that the Dem's are thinking that this will help the sheeple wake up to the puke madness.

A so so friend of mine said he was glad the pukes had the House, Senate and WH so they could screw themselves out of the next election. I told him I didnt think we would survive it, I still dont!

[reprobate]

65. We must spread this around. Here's my LTTE

Suddenly I'm grateful to be retired. There was a time when I worked for a living and depended on whatever overtime pay I could get for the money to stay above poverty and homelessness, as many depend today. They will find it far more difficult to keep their heads above water now with the passage of HR2673, the omnibus spending bill.

In an eleventh hour move the administration demanded that congress add several provisions to the bill, which was passed before most in congress even knew about the additions. Among these provisions was amore media consolidation, privatization of Air Traffic Control, and a national school voucher program.

But the provision that will have the most effect on most people is the one that removes overtime pay for more than eight million workers. What it says is that if you have a college degree, or any specialized training, or work in an administrative of support position, you will be reclassified into a psuedo administrative salaried category for which overtime will not be paid. So if you work fifty hours a week you'll be paid for fifty hours of straight time, but not the overtime premium. Labor Secretary Chao has said this will take effect in May.

Believe it or not, this includes police officers, fire fighters, rescue crews, paramedics, and nurses. The very people that the administration had so much praise for not so long ago. You have to wonder what the president is thinking, throwing a banana peel under the economic feet of the very people who put him in office. Anyone think he'll have their support this time around?

[54anickel]

69. Are you sure on that straight time for all hours worked? I thought it

only changed the definition of what would be Salary-exempt status.
Salary-exempt meant just that, exempt from any addition pay for hours worked. That means same salary each week regardless of hours worked, although the minimum 40 was expected.
That's how it was where I worked. We were a computer manufacturer, and they would stretch the original exemption for computer related pretty far down into the production facilities. About the only ones that were considered hourly were the assemblers themselves - the ones that simply screwed the parts together.

[laylah]

66. keepin' this kicked n/t

[Democat]

67. And still Tom Daschle is our Senate leader, even after the 2002 carnage

Why do we even bother to fight at the bottom when there is almost no real fight left at the top?

[llmart]

72. Here in the Motor City area

of Detroit, auto workers, who are hurting enough as it is what with massive layoffs, were forewarned by the UAW that this bill was coming down. Many of those were big Bush supporters. We'll see how they feel now. I've already heard from many of them that they are outraged over this.