Congress at Work (sic)

Congress.org (congress.org) presents: MEGAVOTE November 19, 2012

In this MegaVote for Georgia's 13th Congressional District:

Recent Congressional Votes -

• Senate: Cybersecurity Cloture
• Senate: Sportsmens Access to Federal Land Cloture
• House: Russia Trade Relations, Human Rights Oversight Passage

The Senate is in recess until Monday, November 26, 2012. The House is in recess until Tuesday, November 27, 2012.  Do you think we can get them r the next two years?

Recent Senate Votes:

Cybersecurity Cloture
http://capwiz.com/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=202&chamber=S&congress=1122
Vote Rejected (51-47, 2 Not Voting)
In contrast to the brisk movement toward passage of the Sportsmen's Act, cybersecurity legislation once again ran aground in the Senate after a failure to invoke cloture. Despite the entreaties of the bill's sponsors, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chairman Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Ct. and ranking member Susan Collins, R-Me., Republicans (as well as five Democrats) refused to end debate on the bill. Concerns in the business community remain a major stumbling block. The Chamber of Commerce and its congressional allies are wary that security standards established by the bill could morph from voluntary to mandatory once they become law. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. declared that "cybersecurity is dead for this Congress." The House passed a much less ambitious bill earlier this year that focused on information sharing between the government and private sector entities. President Obama threatened to veto that measure, citing privacy concerns, while endorsing the Senate bill. With the Senate deadlocked, any action in the remainder of the year is likely to come from the White House, which has reportedly drafted an executive order to protect vital computer networks from attack.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss voted NO

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted NO
Do you see what this suggests; Congress cannot come to agreement so the President is going to usurp the situation again. With the callous lack of concern this administration shows for business you can pretty much guarantee that they are screwed if the Senate acts and royally fucked if the President acts unilaterally.

Sportsmens Access to Federal Land Cloturehttp://capwiz.com/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=203&chamber=S&congress=1122
Vote Agreed to (84-12, 4 Not Voting)
The Senate moved one step closer last week to passing a bill with a smorgasbord of provisions designed to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts, voting affirmatively on both a motion to proceed (Roll Call 201) and later invoking cloture on the bill. Sponsored by Democrat Jon Tester, D-Mont., the Sportsmen's Act of 2012 would exempt ammunition and fishing equipment from EPA regulation; ease a ban on importation of polar bear trophies from Canada; and allow the issuance of permits for individuals carrying bows and crossbows to cross national park land. The bill would reauthorize a number of wildlife conservation measures, as well as a law to facilitate the sale or exchange of federal land with non-federal landowners whose holdings lie within the boundaries of federal tracts. Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. raised a point of order last week regarding spending on duck stamps authorized in the bill. The point of order is expected to be overridden, with final passage coming after the Thanksgiving recess. President Obama supports the bill.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss voted YES

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Get ready boys; the Senate may act like they are in the sportsman and 2^nd Amendment backer’s court but as soon as the President starts stripping gun rights in this second term, they will roll over like the lapdogs they are. When the  time comes they WILL ignore the Bill of Rights, under the argument iof being pragmatic and Se.

Recent House Votes:

Russia Trade Relations, Human Rights Oversight Passagehttp://capwiz.com/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=608&chamber=H&congress=1122
Vote Passed (365-43, 25 Not Voting)
In its first week of legislative action since the November 6 elections, the House moved on a measure to establish Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the Russian Federation. By an overwhelming and bipartisan majority, the lower chamber endorsed a measure to essentially repeal 1970s-era restrictions on trade with Russia and Moldova that were originally implemented because the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc nations denied freedom of emigration to their Jewish citizens. The legislation was necessitated by Russia's recent accession to the World Trade Organization, which was finalized in late August. If U.S. trade restrictions are not lifted, American goods could become subject to retaliatory tariffs, closing off a potentially lucrative new market. The Russia trade title includes several requirements for oversight from the U.S. Trade Representative to ensure Russia is living up to its new WTO obligations. Legislators more skeptical of closer ties with Russia fought for the inclusion of human rights provisions in the legislation. These include a sense of Congress statement the U.S. should support democracy and human rights activists in Russia. The teeth of the provisions, however, center on the ordeal of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian attorney who died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody in 2009. The president will be required to compile a list of names of those responsible for Magnitsky's abuse and death. Those individuals will be denied entry to the U.S. and their assets will be frozen. The White House is officially supportive of the combined measure, though the Magnitsky provisions are already causing headaches with Moscow. The bill now moves to the Senate, where the Finance and Foreign Relations panels have already passed similar measures.
Rep. David Scott voted YES
Free trade is good, but whatever our government designs surely will not be free trade. Also, whatever the Russian Federation’s objectives are, they are not understood by a government that cannot manage its own financial affairs. Almost certainly this involves some sort of financial incentive (aka bribe) to the Russians at the behest of some US business concern.

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