9/11 Commission Bill Passed

Playing a little catch up here now, we also want to discuss the 9/11 Commission vote. This is the bill that would enforce all of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. These recommendations are meant to keep our country safe in the future. But despite that, over the last several years, Republicans have refused to put the recommendations before a vote of Congress anyways. Now with Democrats in control, finally the recommendations of the bipartisan commission were put before a vote.

Not surprisingly it passed on a vote of 299 – 128, with not just 231 Democrats voting Yes, but also with the support of 68 Republicans.

Despite the Yes vote on the bill, some Republicans still voted No against the recommendations of the bipartisan commission. These Republicans voted with an extreme partisan view. Here are the Florida Republicans who voted No against securing the country:

Miller (1st), Crenshaw (4th), Stearns (6th), Mica (7th), Young (10th), Putnam (12th), Weldon (15th), Feeney (24th) 

Of note here is Dave Weldon, who seems determined to vote down almsot every bipartisan bill of the 100 Hours agenda.

 Again, here was his last election:

Dave Weldon: 56%     Bob Bowman: 44%

We need to keep on him and put up a funded challenge in 2008. His votes have been out of the mainstream and voters in the 15th District are not going to like that.

Minimum Wage Bill Passed: Six Florida Republicans Vote No

Today, the US House passed legislation to raise the minimum wage on a 315-116 vote, as 80 Republicans joined with 100% of the Democrats to pass the bill to help workers in America. In fact, 10 out of 16 Florida Republicans voted Yes, only six of them did not.

Six Florida Republicans appealed to the far-right wing of the party on this vote and made their vote against progress for American workers, against steps to end the class-divide in America. They voted in favor of special business interests, while they cut and ran from workers.

Jeff Miller (R) District 1, John Mica (R) District 7, Adam Putnam (R) District 12, Connie Mack (R) District 14, Dave Weldon (R) District 15, and Tom Feeney (R) District 24

All of these Republicans voted No on doing what Florida voters have already passed in a statewide referendum, raising the minimum wage.

Dave Weldon, who just had a not-so-impressive election victory against an underfunded opponent was one of the Republicans who voted No. Here were the results of his last election.

District 15:     Weldon 56%     Bowman 44%

The reason: Dave Weldon does not vote the way his constituents expect him to. More and more voters in district 15 are catching on and if Dave Weldon continues to cut and run from the people of his district and on progress for the country, people will not respond positively to that.

 Today the US Congress took a step to move forward again in our country and to help out workers. Many workers will now benefit with a decent standard of living. At the same time, six Republicans in Florida voted for the corporate and powerful and against workers.