Will Radical House Democrats Vote For A Budget With These Republican Amendments?

The Senate Voted To Reiterate Long-Standing Bipartisan Hyde Amendment Protections So Taxpayers Are Not Forced To Fund Elective Abortions

The Senate voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. James Lankford’s (R-OK) amendment to preserve Hyde Amendment protections that prevent taxpayers from paying for elective abortions. (S.Amdt.3792, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #336: Adopted 50-49: D 1-47; R 49-0; I 0-2, 8/10/2021)

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): “We should all be able to agree—no American should be forced to pay for an abortion through taxpayer dollars. Just because a child is inside the womb does not mean they should be treated any differently by law. My amendment restates the long-term agreement that no taxpayer dollars fund an abortion, and no American should be punished for refusing to participate in an abortion. That should not be controversial.” (Sen. Lankford, Press Release, 8/10/2021)

But Will House Democrats Who Have Recently Attempted To Dismantle The Hyde Amendment Vote For A Budget That Preserves It?

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “I do not think it is good public policy, and I wish we never had a Hyde Amendment, but it is the law of the land right now.” (“Ban On Abortion Funding Stays In House Bill As 2020 Democrats Promise Repeal,” NPR, 6/13/2019)

REP. ROSA DeLAURO (D-CT), House Appropriations Committee Chair: “Allowing the Hyde Amendment to remain on the books is a disservice to our constituents.” (“Democrats Advance Spending Bill That Would Overturn The Hyde Amendment,” ABC News, 7/12/2021)

“For the first time in decades, congressional Democrats are moving toward scrapping long-standing restrictions on using taxpayer funds for abortions.” (“The Health 202: Democrats Are Pressing Forward On Allowing The Government To Fund Abortions,” The Washington Post, 7/13/2021)

“[T]he [House] appropriations subcommittee, which oversees Department of Health and Human Services funding, approved a funding bill without the two amendments that long represented a sort of truce between abortion rights advocates and foes. The best-known of these is the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits using federally funded programs like Medicaid from paying for abortions, except in a narrow set of circumstances. It has been tacked onto congressional spending measures every year since 1977, and was historically supported by many Democrats including President Biden (who last year flipped on the issue under pressure from abortion rights groups). Somewhat lesser-known is the Weldon Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from going to any state or local government that discriminates against health-care entities that refuse to provide or refer patients for abortions…. [T]he vote does represent a significant departure from a policy that had allowed two parties with diametrically opposing views on abortion rights to continue funding the federal government without every spending discussion devolving into an all-out war.” (“The Health 202: Democrats Are Pressing Forward On Allowing The Government To Fund Abortions,” The Washington Post, 7/13/2021)

• “House Democrats on [July 12^th] took steps to advance a new spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services without the Hyde Amendment, a 40-year-old provision that has banned federal funding for most abortions. In moving the spending bill to the full House Appropriations Committee for debate and a vote, Democrats followed through on President Joe Biden’s proposed budget, which also did not include the amendment. House Democrats had indicated they would go this route and in doing so have effectively guaranteed that abortion access will be a central focus of government funding negotiations …” (“Democrats Advance Spending Bill That Would Overturn The Hyde Amendment,” ABC News, 7/12/2021)

“On [July 29^th], for the first time in 45 years, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to provide taxpayer funding of elective abortions for Medicaid recipients. Since 1976, regardless of partisan control of Congress, every appropriations bill funding Medicaid that passed the House included the Hyde amendment, which bars federal funding of abortion except in rare circumstances. The last time such an appropriations bill came to the floor of the House without the Hyde amendment was in 1993, when Democrats held 258 seats in the lower chamber. Despite the large Democratic majority, there were still enough moderates in the party to add the Hyde amendment … before final passage. Democrats now have a slim House majority — holding just 220 seats — but pro-life Democrats have effectively gone extinct in the House. The appropriations bill killing off the Hyde amendment passed the House on a 219-208 vote …” (John McCormack, “House Democrats Vote for Unlimited Taxpayer Funding of Abortion for Medicaid Recipients,” National Review, 7/29/2021)

The Senate Approved On A Bipartisan Basis An Amendment To Prohibit Federal Funds From Going To Schools To Teach Critical Race Theory

The Senate voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AR) amendment to prohibit federal funds from being used to promote Critical Race Theory or to compel students or teachers to affirm Critical Race Theory in prekindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools. (S.Amdt.3680, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #342: Amendment Agreed to 50-49: D 1-47; R 49-0; I 0-2; 8/11/2021)

SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): “Our future depends on raising a generation of kids who love America and love each other as fellow citizens, no matter their race. But Critical Race Theory teaches that our country is irredeemably racist, that ‘equality’ is a sham, and that true justice requires treating everyone differently—based on the color of their skin. Our tax dollars should never support indoctrinating the youngest Americans with such poison.” (Sen. Cotton, Press Release, 8/10/2021)

Moderate Suburban Parents ‘Are Up In Arms Over Their School Systems’ New Equity Initiatives, Which They Argue Are Costly And Divisive, Encouraging Students To Group Themselves By Race And Take Pro-Activist Stances’

“Elina Kaplan is the kind of suburban mom who made Joe Biden president. An immigrant who came to the United States from the Soviet Union, she is a registered Democrat from San Mateo County, Calif. And she’s alarmed over her state’s new model ethnic studies curriculum, which cites critical race theory as a ‘key theoretical framework and pedagogy.’ ‘I firmly believe that if the vast majority of Californians and Americans knew about this, and about the content of this type of curriculum, this would not be happening. We would not be having this conversation,’ Kaplan said.” (“‘People Are Scared’: Democrats Lose Ground On School Equity Plans,” Politico, 7/26/2021)

• “Kaplan felt there were numerous issues with the model curriculum. Drafts, for example, included criticisms of capitalism, at one point referring to it as a ‘system of power’ and suggesting students study how capitalism has been used to oppress people. The first draft put little focus on anti-Semitism but included sample teachings about Palestine, upsetting Jewish leaders in the state.” (“‘People Are Scared’: Democrats Lose Ground On School Equity Plans,” Politico, 7/26/2021) 

• “Kaplan, who has launched an email list, set up meetings with state legislators and recruited people to meet with their school boards to discuss ethnic studies, is representative of Democrat-leaning or politically moderate suburbanites interviewed by POLITICO in six states, all but one of which were won by Biden. They are up in arms over their school systems’ new equity initiatives, which they argue are costly and divisive, encouraging students to group themselves by race and take pro-activist stances.” (“‘People Are Scared’: Democrats Lose Ground On School Equity Plans,” Politico, 7/26/2021)

“One parent in Novi, Mich., a diverse suburb outside Detroit with prized public schools, said she started reading up on critical race theory after her daughter, a recent high school graduate, started raising the idea of defunding police departments and arguing that rioters who looted stores during 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests were justified. The parent — who asked to not be named because of the heated politics in Novi — said she has in the past voted for Democrats, but she considers her daughter’s ideas ‘radical.’ She and other parents formed an anonymous group to question the school board. ‘Based on everything I have seen in the last year, starting with Covid, I cannot continue [voting for Democratic candidates] in good faith,’ she said.” (“‘People Are Scared’: Democrats Lose Ground On School Equity Plans,” Politico, 7/26/2021)

“In Loudoun County, Va., where heated opposition to the district’s plans to implement new diversity initiatives has led to an attempted recall of board members, culminating in a viral school board meeting in June where two protesters were arrested, organizers have similarly noticed support coming from outside the Republican Party. A poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies in early June for the anti-critical race theory advocacy group Fight for Schools found that 48 percent of independent voters and 59 percent of public school parents overall in Loudoun and neighboring Fairfax County viewed critical race theory negatively, while 31 percent and 39 percent of each group had positive views. Biden won Loudoun County by 62 percent to 37 percent over Trump, and Fairfax by 70-28.” (“‘People Are Scared’: Democrats Lose Ground On School Equity Plans,” Politico, 7/26/2021)

According to a May poll of active voters:

• “74% [of respondents] said they were somewhat or strongly opposed to teaching students that white people are inherently privileged and black and other people of color are inherently oppressed. Similarly, only 6% of respondents favored schools assigning white students the status of ‘privileged’ and non-white students the status of ‘oppressed’ – versus 88% opposed, including 78% strongly opposed.”

• “69% opposed schools teaching that America was founded on racism and is structurally racist.

• “80% oppose the use of classrooms to promote political activism to students, including 64% who strongly oppose.” (Parents Defending Education, Press Release, 5/10/2021)

But Will House Democrats, Some Of Whom Support Teaching Critical Race Theory And Others Of Whom Have Dismissed It As ‘A Scare Tactic,’ Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment To Deny Funding For Schools To Teach It?

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): “And we use, and Republicans are using these words like critical race theory … and their argument is well, some teachers may be exposed to it. Wow, so your child’s teacher is not -- is anti-racist and is actually fluent in how to dismantle racism in the dynamics of racism in a classroom…. [T]hat is something that teachers should know how to do.” (CNN’s “Don Lemon Tonight,” 7/19/2021)

AL SHARPTON: “And then people are confused when you say critical race theory is really American history. This is no theory. These things happened to us.”

REP. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (D-TX): “Exactly.” (MSNBC, 7/10/2021)

REP. CHRISSY HOULAHAN (D-PA): “[I]t is, I think, a very strategic strategy inserting critical race theory and scaring people frankly.” (MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” 6/24/2021)

REP. CORI BUSH (D-MO): “[W]hen I think about all of these this rhetoric about the critical race theory, first of all, it’s just a diversion. It’s a scare tactic to make people not want to because we’re doing a lot of talk, and we’re pushing hard to make sure that black lives do matter in this country, and making sure that brown lives matter in this country and trans lives and Native lives matter in this country by the evidence of life.” (MSNBC’s “The Beat with Ari Melber,” 6/28/2021)

The Senate Voted 99-0 To Decrease Federal Funding For Localities That Defund Their Police Forces

No senator voted against Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) amendment to decrease federal funding for local governments that defund their police. (S.Amdt.3113, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #328: Adopted 99-0: D 49-0; R 49-0; I 2-0, 8/10/2021)

SEN. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-AL): “To some local leaders across the country, the far-left rally cry of ‘defund the police’ is not just DC rhetoric; they are actually acting on it. … My amendment is pretty simple. If your city council wants to defund their police, don’t expect the Federal Government to make up the difference. The American taxpayers in Alabama shouldn’t have to pick up the tab for local leaders in Oregon and Minnesota who value the ‘woke’ ‘defund the police’ movement over their own community’s safety. I call on my colleagues to support our law enforcement by voting yes for this amendment. Opposing my amendment is a vote in support of defunding the police and against the men and women in blue.” (Sen. Tuberville, Congressional Record, S6217, 8/10/2021)

But Will House Democrats, Many Of Whom Have Championed ‘Defund The Police,’ Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment Tying Federal Funding To Protecting Police Budgets?

REP. CORI BUSH (D-MO): “I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life and I have too much work to do. There are too many people that need help right now for me to allow that. So if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend 10, 10, 10 more dollars on it, you know what, I get to be here to do the work. So suck it up and defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets because we’re trying to save lives.” (“Cori Bush Explains Her Position On ‘Defund The Police’ While Paying For Private Security. Her Full Response,” CBS News 8/06/2021)

• REP. BUSH: “Defunding the police isn’t radical, it’s real.” (Rep. Bush, @CoriBush, Twitter, 1/27/2021)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): “Defunding police means defunding police.” (“Ocasio-Cortez Dismisses Proposed $1B Cut: ‘Defunding Police Means Defunding Police’,” The Hill, 6/30/2020)

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): “I will never stop saying, ‘Not only do we need to disinvest from police but we need to completely dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.’” (“‘Defund The Police’ Movement Hits Semantics Roadblock,” The Hill, 6/14/2020)

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MI): “… Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. ... I am done with those who condone government funded murder. No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed.” (Rep. Tlaib, @RashidaTlaib, Twitter, 4/12/2021)

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): “From slave patrols to traffic stops. We can’t reform this.” (Rep. Pressley, @AyannaPressley, Twitter, 4/12/2021)

The Senate Voted On A Bipartisan Basis For Amendments To Strengthen Immigration Enforcement While Some House Democrats Have Called For Abolishing ICE

The Senate voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. Jerry Moran’s (R-KS) amendment to strengthen enforcement of immigration laws to address the humanitarian crisis at the Southern U.S. border and for Sen. Bill Hagerty’s (R-TN) amendment to ensure that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has the necessary resources to deport illegal aliens who have been convicted of a crime. (S.Amdt.3795, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #341: Adopted 76-23: D 26-22; R 49-0; I 1-1, 8/10/2021; S.Amdt.3742. S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote 351: Adopted 53-46 : D 4-44; R 49-0; I 0-2, 8/11/2021)

SEN. JERRY MORAN (R-KS): “The Biden administration’s rollback of immigration laws has not only magnified the humanitarian crisis, it has left our law enforcement with the impossible task of trying to slow the flow of illegal crossings while also attempting to stop drug, weapon and human traffickers from entering the country. This vote sends a clear message to President Biden and Vice President Harris that their border policies are failing and we should immediately strengthen enforcement of our immigration laws to address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border.” (Sen. Moran, Press Release, 8/11/2021)

SEN. BILL HAGERTY (R-TN): “My amendment provides for ensuring that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—which is charged by Congress with enforcing immigration laws in the United States—has sufficient resources to deport illegal aliens who have been convicted of crimes in the United States. According to ICE’s website, 92 percent of the illegal aliens that ICE deports have been convicted of or charged with crimes. Yet, despite the border crisis and record border crossings, the Biden Administration has drastically reduced deportations to roughly one-quarter what they were last fiscal year, reaching the lowest levels on record this spring—from over 28,000 in October 2019 to less than 3,000 in April 2021. That means the Administration is allowing thousands of criminal illegal aliens per month to remain in American communities and potentially commit more crimes.” (Sen. Hagerty, Press Release, 8/11/2021)

For Months, Encounters At The Southern U.S. Border Have Been Breaking Records, ‘An Unrelenting Pace’ 

“The Border Patrol made about 200,000 arrests at the southern border in July, marking the busiest month at the border in 21 years and a 12% increase over the previous month, according to new figures released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Thursday. The number marks a departure from seasonal trends that would typically see fewer migrants attempting the dangerous journey at the peak of the summer heat. Nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children crossed the border in July—almost equal to the record set this March. And 76,000 parents and children crossed the border together as families, the second-highest total ever and a significant jump from June…. The past six months mark the longest period in recent history that monthly crossings have remained near or above 100,000, an unrelenting pace that has placed a heavy strain on the immigration system and posed one of the largest political challenges for the Biden administration so far.” (“Migrant Border Arrests in July Surge to Highest Level in 21 Years,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/12/2021)

“Federal officials have logged more than 1.1 million apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border this fiscal year, after another busy month in June, Customs and Border Protection said in a news release Friday. Many who were taken into custody have attempted to cross the border more than once, officials said. Apprehensions last reached the 1 million milestone in 2006. But far fewer attempted to cross that year during the searing-hot summer months, when the journey across the Rio Grande or vast ranches is especially dangerous. Approximately 68,000 migrants were taken into custody in June 2006 — compared with 188,829 apprehensions last month, which was a 5 percent increase from May.” (“U.S.-Mexico Border Apprehensions For The Fiscal Year Surpassed 1 Million In June,” The Washington Post, 7/16/2021)

Meanwhile, The Biden Administration Continues Its Catch-And-Release Policies, As Just 13% Of The 50,000 Illegal Immigrants Released Into The United States Without A Court Date Have Actually Reported To ICE Check-Ins

“About 50,000 migrants who crossed the southern border illegally have now been released in the United States without a court date. Although they are told to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office instead, just 13% have shown up so far, Axios has learned. … It’s unprecedented for agents to release migrants without an official notice to appear in court. Where it has occurred recently, migrants have instead been given a list of addresses and contacts for ICE offices across the country and told to report to one of them.” (“Scoop: 50,000 Migrants Released; Few Report To ICE,” Axios, 7/27/2021)

But Will House Democrats Who Have Called For And Even Introduced Legislation To Abolish ICE Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment To Fund The Agency And Strengthen Immigration Enforcement?

“Abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is fast becoming a litmus test for Democrats …” (“Abolishing ICE Becomes Dem Litmus Test,” The Hill, 6/30/2018)

• “More Democrats have joined the growing list of names who want to abolish US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly known as ICE. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez … ran on a platform of abolishing the agency, and so far, more lawmakers have echoed her call.” (“These Democrats Want To Abolish ICE,” CNN, 7/03/2018)

“Two Democratic members of the U.S. House, Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, have introduced legislation to abolish ICE …” (“How ‘Abolish ICE’ Became The Left’s New Rallying Cry,” MinnPost, 7/03/2018)

• The bill to abolish ICE was also cosponsored by Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY). (H.R. 6361, 115^th Congress)

REP. MARK POCAN (D-WI): “I’m introducing legislation that would abolish ICE …” (Rep. Pocan, Press Release, 6/25/2018)

REP. EARL BLUMENAUER (D-OR): “… it’s time to abolish ICE, and start over.” (Rep. Blumenauer, Press Release, 6/28/2018) 

A Bipartisan Majority Of The Senate Voted To Prohibit A Ban On Fracking

Senate Democrats voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. Kevin Cramer’s (R-ND) amendment to prohibit a fracking ban. (S.Amdt.3105, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #323: Adopted 57-42: D 7-41; R 49-0; I 1-1, 8/10/2021)

SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): “[T]his amendment would simply prohibit any ban on hydraulic fracturing. Such a ban would raise Americans’ cost of living, weaken our national security, and, of course, actually enhance greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to the technology of fracking, since 2007, U.S. oil production has doubled, and natural gas production has increased by 60 percent. That is helping States like Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania. And it rids us of our reliance on nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia.” (Sen. Cramer, Congressional Record, S6212-S6213, 8/10/2021)

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “President Biden has been taking his climate cues from California, which is why Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order banning fracking [in April] is sure to cause tremors beyond the state’s borders…. Mr. Newsom is … directing the state’s Department of Conservation to initiate a rule-making to cease new fracking permits by 2024. In the meantime, Mr. Newsom says the department will ‘operationalize its updated mandate to protect public health and the environment’—i.e., tighten regulation and slow-roll permits…. Candidate Biden denied last fall that he would ban fracking but let slip during a debate that he would ‘transition from the oil industry.’ Mr. Newsom is showing him how.” (Editorial, “Newsom’s Guide to Ban Fracking,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/27/2021)

• “Any doubt that the Biden Administration plans to slowly regulate fossil fuels out of existence vanished [his first week in office]. First came the Keystone XL pipeline kill, but perhaps more significant is the 60-day freeze on new leases on federal lands and bureaucratic permitting. The pause could soon become a long-term ban…. Start with the 60-day suspension on new leases on federal land…. [S]hale fracking occurs in large part on federal land in western states, and it continually requires new leases and investment. Federal land accounts for 51.9% of New Mexico’s oil production and 66.8% of its natural gas, as well as a sizable share of gas extraction in Colorado (41.6%), Utah (63.2%) and Wyoming (92.1%). A federal leasing ban would cost some 18,000 jobs in Colorado, 33,000 in Wyoming and 62,000 in New Mexico by 2022, according to the American Petroleum Institute.” (Editorial, “Biden’s Fossil-Fuel Freeze,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/22/2021)

But Will House Democrats, A Number Of Whom Have Pushed For A Fracking Ban, Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment Prohibiting Such A Ban?

“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), along with Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) officially introduced a national fracking ban in the House. The bill… serves as a companion bill to the Senate legislation proposed by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), one that Ocasio-Cortez helped draft. Both bills would ban fracking across the nation by 2025.” (“Ocasio-Cortez introduces national fracking ban,” The Hill, 2/12/2020)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): “Fracking is destroying our land and our water. It is wreaking havoc on our communities’ health. We must do our job to protect our future from the harms caused by the fracking industry. That is why I am proud to introduce the Fracking Ban Act with @RepDarrenSoto today.” (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, @RepAOC, Twitter, 2/12/2020)

REP. DARREN SOTO (D-FL): “If we want to transition from fossil fuel emissions as we work towards building a 100 percent clean economy, pulling back from fracking is a critical first step. Failure to act will only make the crisis at hand even more detrimental for future generations of Americans.” (Rep. Soto, Press Release, 2/12/2020)

A Bipartisan Majority Of The Senate Voted To Support Affordable Fossil Fuel Energy Generation

The Senate voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. John Boozman’s (R-AR) amendment to prohibit USDA from making fossil fuel plants ineligible for financing and for Sen. John Hoeven’s (R-ND) amendment to support fossil fuel generation. (S.Amdt.3103, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #330: Adopted 53-46: D 4-44; R 49-0; I 0-2, 8/10/2021; S.Amdt.3243, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #346: Adopted 52-47: D 3-45; R 49-0; I 0-2, 8/11/2021)

SEN. JOHN BOOZMAN (R-AR): “[M]y amendment will establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to ensure rural electric cooperatives remain eligible for USDA financing for the construction, maintenance, or improvement of fossil fuel burning plants. I ask my colleagues to support this commonsense approach to ensure that the electricity needs of rural America continue to be met and, in the future, are affordable and reliable. The amendment ensures that rural Americans continue to have accessible, affordable, reliable energy to power their farms, their businesses, and broadband networks in the 21st-century economy. In order to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the Department of Agriculture has proposed the retirement of fossil fuel-burning powerplants in rural America. So this amendment would protect rural America and make sure they have reliable and affordable energy.” (Sen. Boozman, Congressional Record, S6219, 08/10/2021)

SEN. JOHN HOEVEN (R-ND): “This amendment ensures we continue to support policies that make our country an economic powerhouse, as well as keeping heating and cooling costs low for Americans, and that means protecting access to reliable, affordable energy. … My amendment promotes more baseload power, specifically from coal-fired and natural gas power plants with carbon capture, as well as nuclear power. Instead of new taxes or the Green New Deal, we should be expanding access to power generation from resources available 24/7, regardless of weather conditions. We are the world’s leading economy with vast energy resources, and blackouts and brownouts are simply not acceptable.” (Sen. Hoeven, Congressional Record, S6229, 08/10/2021)

But Will House Democrats, Many Of Whom Oppose The Use Of Fossil Fuels, Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment That Supports Fossil Fuel Energy Generation?

“More than two dozen House Democrats asked the Federal Reserve on Thursday to use its full arsenal of policy tools to direct funding away from the fossil fuel industry and toward communities harmed by climate change and pollution.” (“Progressives Push Fed To Drive Funding Away From Fossil Fuel Companies,” The Hill, 04/01/2021)

REP. JARED HUFFMAN (D-CA): “The climate crisis is happening now. Communities across the country are already facing the effects of climate change, and it’s critical we reduce emissions by keeping the world’s remaining fossil fuels in the ground.” (Rep. Huffman, Press Release, 04/14/2021)

REP. MARK POCAN (D-WI): “After decades of forever wars waged over oil costing trillions of dollars—it’s time we reinvest in the needs of the American people and move towards a future reliant on renewable energy not planet-destroying fossil fuels.” (Rep. Pocan, Press Release, 04/20/2021)

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D-TX): “We need a Green New Deal because our children and grandchildren are getting a sorry deal from those addicted to fossil fuels and fossilized thinking.” (Rep. Doggett, Press Release, 04/20/2021)

The Senate Voted 99-0 To Oppose New Taxes On Family Farms And Small Businesses That Some House Democrats Are Seeking

No senator voted against Sen. John Thune’s (R-SD) amendment opposing a proposed tax on family farms and small businesses by eliminating stepped-up basis protections in the tax code. (S.Amdt.3106, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #318: Adopted 99-0: D 48-0; R 49-0; I 2-0, 8/10/2021)

SENATE REPUBLICAN WHIP JOHN THUNE (R-SD): “[I]t is stunning that President Biden is proposing new tax increases on family-owned businesses and agricultural producers to pay for his $3.5 trillion reckless tax-and-spending spree. The U.S. tax code allows family-run businesses to be passed down to the next generation without imposing capital gains taxes on the built-in gains from the prior generation. After all, many of these ‘gains’ are unrealized – the price of the land may have risen since being owned by previous generations, but farmers aren’t seeing a penny of actual gain. It’s called ‘step-up in basis,’ and it prevents families from paying a fortune when a loved one dies. But the Biden administration is targeting this longstanding part of the tax code as it scrambles to pay for its far-left crusade to permanently grow the federal government and fund the massive tax breaks they’re proposing for wealthy Americans in blue states.” (Sen. Thune, Op-Ed, “Biden, Dems’ Reckless Tax-And-Spending Spree Would Decimate Family Farms And Businesses,” Fox News, 8/08/2021)

• SEN. THUNE: “This proposed tax – the Democrats’ new ‘double death tax’ – could threaten our economic recovery and potentially jeopardize the future of agriculture in America. It would be profoundly unfair to America’s hardworking farmers and other generationally owned businesses, and it would particularly devastate rural communities and small-town jobs. … Family-run businesses and farms have weathered the worst in pursuit of the American dream, and they deserve better from Washington.” (Sen. Thune, Op-Ed, “Biden, Dems’ Reckless Tax-And-Spending Spree Would Decimate Family Farms And Businesses,” Fox News, 8/08/2021) 

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “[T]he Biden Administration has proposed a $1 million cap on the ‘step-up in basis,’ which excludes unrealized gains from taxation at death. This is a backdoor death tax, and Penn Wharton estimates the change would raise up to $113 billion over a decade.” (Editorial, “The Capital-Gains Revenue Illusion,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/06/2021)

“Democrats want to fund a big chunk of their spending package by curbing the nearly century-old provision, sometimes called the Angel of Death loophole and technically known by the clunky term ‘stepped up basis at death.’ Along with a related plan to raise capital gains rates on millionaires, it is projected to raise more than $300 billion over 10 years.” (“Democrats Struggle With Plan To Tax Dynastic Wealth,” Politico, 6/08/2021)

• “The Biden proposal would blow up several longstanding tax concepts: That capital gains deserve a lower tax rate than wages and that people can inherit old assets without paying capital-gains taxes.” (The Wall Street Journal, 4/29/2021)

• “Opponents of Mr. Biden’s plan warn of steep combined rates on people hit by both taxes. ‘If we lose the step-up in basis, that turns the estate planning world upside down,’ said Alvina Lo, a tax attorney and chief wealth strategist at M & T Bank Corp. unit Wilmington Trust.” (The Wall Street Journal, 4/29/2021)

• “Farmers worry about having to pay tax on land that’s been appreciating for decades while small business owners are concerned about being able to hand down their companies to children.” (“Democrats Struggle With Plan To Tax Dynastic Wealth,” Politico, 6/08/2021)

But Will House Democrats, Some Of Whom Have Proposed Legislation Implementing These Tax Hikes, Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment Opposing Them?

Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Ro Khanna (D-CA), David Trone (D-MD), and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) have sponsored a bill to raise taxes on these family farms and small businesses. (H.R. 2286, 117^th Congress)

REP. BILL PASCRELL (D-NJ): “This loophole is one of the chief causes of a broken system. Allowing the richest families on earth to amass greater and greater fortunes without paying their fair share will break this country unless it is set right. As Americans are squeezed like never before and struggling to survive, they look at the widening wealth gap with desperation and anger and demand change. That change begins with closing the stepped-up basis loophole …” (Rep. Pascrell, Press Release, 3/29/2021)

A Bipartisan Majority Of The Senate Voted To Lift Democrats’ Stimulus Bill Restrictions On States And Localities Cutting Taxes

Senate Democrats voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. Mike Braun’s (R-IN) amendment to remove the American Rescue Plan’s restriction on states and localities using funding sent to them by that legislation for cutting taxes. (S.Amdt.3114, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #331: Adopted 86-13: D 31-11; R 49-0; I 0-2, 8/10/2021)

SEN. MIKE BRAUN (R-IN): “[I]n the 11th hour, Democrats added a provision in the American Rescue Plan that this body did not have time to vet. Under this provision, if States took the money, they cannot lower their taxes in any way through 2024. … I introduced the Let States Cut Taxes Act with Dan Bishop, of North Carolina, to repeal this overstep in the American Rescue Plan. A vote for this amendment is a vote to protect States’ power to impose or cut their own taxes.” (Sen. Braun, Congressional Record, S6219, 8/10/2021)

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “Democrats in Congress aren’t satisfied with spending $1.9 trillion to help blue states and union friends. They’ve also launched a sneak attack against conservative states. Read their legislation’s lips: No new state tax cuts. That’s the news from a provision added last week by Senate Democrats that limits how states and localities can use their $360 billion windfall.” (Editorial, “Democrats to States: No New Tax Cuts,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/09/2021)

• “But here’s the political gut punch. The bill explicitly bars states from cutting taxes. States ‘shall not use the funds,’ the bill says, ‘to either directly or indirectly [our emphasis] offset a reduction in the net tax revenue’ that results ‘from a change in law, regulation, or administrative interpretation during the covered period that reduces any tax (by providing for a reduction in a rate, a rebate, a deduction, a credit, or otherwise) or delays the imposition of any tax or tax increase.’ … The language is so expansive that states could be limited from making any changes to their tax codes that reduce revenue even if they don’t use federal funds as direct offsets. Much will depend on how Ms. Yellen defines ‘indirectly.’ States that don’t comply with her interpretation will have to repay federal funds.” (Editorial, “Democrats to States: No New Tax Cuts,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/09/2021)

But Will House Democrats Who Routinely Oppose Allowing Americans To Keep More Of Their Hard-Earned Money Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment Removing Restrictions On States And Localities Cutting Taxes? 

“A last-minute change in the $1.9 trillion economic relief package that President Biden signed into law this week includes a provision that could temporarily prevent states that receive government aid from turning around and cutting taxes. The restriction, which was added by Senate Democrats, is intended to ensure that states use federal funds to keep their local economies humming and avoid drastic budget cuts and not simply use the money to subsidize tax cuts. But the provision is causing alarm among some local officials, primarily Republicans, who see the move as federal overreach and fear conditions attached to the money will impede upon their ability to manage their budgets as they see fit.” (“A Last-Minute Add to Stimulus Bill Could Restrict State Tax Cuts,” The New York Times, 3/12/2021)

“Administration officials said… that states that cut taxes must show that they used other funding sources—not the new federal aid—to finance those tax cuts. Otherwise, they have to give back the federal money. Under the law and the new Treasury rules, governments receiving the money also can’t use the money for debt service, pension contributions or rainy-day funds. States that accept the federal aid will be required to report any tax cuts that bring their revenue below inflation-adjusted 2019 revenue levels.” (“Biden Administration to Start Doling Out $350 Billion in Aid to State, Local Governments,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/2021)

A Bipartisan Majority Of The Senate Voted To Prevent Wealthy Individuals From Qualifying For Electric Vehicle Tax Credits

Senate Democrats voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. Deb Fischer’s (R-NE) amendment to prevent wealthy individuals from qualifying for electric vehicle tax credits. (S.Amdt. 3128, S.Con.Res. 14, Roll Call Vote #332: Adopted 51-48: D 3-45, R 48-1, I 0-2, 08/10/2021)

SEN. DEB FISCHER (R-NE): “Americans making over $100,000 a year claimed nearly 80 percent of electric vehicle tax credits in 2016. … My colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to say wealthy Americans should pay their fair share in taxes. Yet they want to expand the tax credit to disproportionately benefit even more people with six-figure salaries. Everyday Americans are living paycheck to paycheck because of the sharp rise in costs due to inflation, but my colleagues on the other side want to subsidize luxury vehicles only the rich can afford using money from hard-working taxpayers, and my amendment would put a stop to that. It simply prohibits individuals from claiming the tax credit if they make over $100,000 a year or if the car they are buying costs over $40,000. There is nothing wrong with the well-off buying fancy cars. I just don’t think America’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars should help to pay for it.” (Sen. Fischer, Congressional Record, S6220, 08/10/2021)

But Will House Democrats, Who Support Expanding Electric Vehicle Tax Credits, Vote For A Budget That Includes An Amendment That Restricts Who Can Qualify For Those Tax Credits?

“Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday put forward a sweeping green energy bill that would extend several clean energy tax credits, expand electric vehicle tax credits and set the stage for putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions. The bill, called the GREEN Act, was first introduced last year but is being put forward again with Democrats now controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House. … It would also expand an electric vehicle tax credit and create a new tax credit for zero-emission commercial vehicles and zero-emission buses. The bill would further direct the Treasury secretary to assess the Environmental Protection Agency’s data on greenhouse gas emissions to tax entities based on their emissions.” (“House Democrats Reintroduce Green Energy Tax Package,” The Hill, 02/05/2021)

• REP. MIKE THOMPSON (D-CA), House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Chairman: “Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time and we must act boldly to address this existential threat. That’s why I am proud to again introduce the GREEN Act, a sweeping bill that will use our tax code to help tackle climate change… This bill expands the use of renewable energy through Federal tax incentives that will promote clean energy technologies and faster deploy zero-emissions vehicles. These incentives will, in turn, shift our energy use and lessen our carbon footprint, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I am proud to again have the support of Chairman Neal and all the Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee as we take this bold step forward in confronting climate change and passing on a better planet to the next generation. Know I will work closely with our committee members and our stakeholders to further strengthen the GREEN Act so that we can create the emissions savings and the family-sustaining jobs that our nation needs.” (Rep. Thompson, Press Release, 2/05/2021)

The Senate Adopted On A Bipartisan Basis An Amendment To Protect Farmers And Ranchers From Being Hit With Costly Environmental Methane Regulations

The Senate voted on a bipartisan basis for Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) amendment that would prohibit issuing Clean Air Act methane requirements on farmers and ranchers. (S.Amdt.3115, S.Con.Res.14, Roll Call Vote #333: Adopted 66-33: D 17-31; R 49-0; I 0-2, 8/10/2021)

SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): “As Democrats push full steam ahead on their reckless and partisan $3.5 trillion tax-and-spend spree, I’m making sure Iowa farmers and ranchers—and American consumers—aren’t left to pay the tab for their over-the-top, burdensome regulations—or what amounts to a ‘Cow Tax.’ These costly regulations could threaten to put our local farms out of business and devastate our rural communities. This amendment—passed with strong bipartisan support—puts a stop to the Democrats’ ‘Cow Tax.’” (Sen. Ernst, Press Release, 8/10/2021)

Far Left Magazine MOTHER JONES: “Buried in the [IPCC] report (see chapter 5), and generating little press coverage, lies some dire news about … the climate impact of our food system…. Methane, in particular, may hold the key … Major sources of methane include cow burps, livestock manure … Ben Lilliston, director of rural strategies and climate change at the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, told Mother Jones the IPCC’s finding … underlines the need to cut methane emissions, fast…. In other words … Sen. Ernst may have unwittingly stumbled upon some great ideas not currently on the policy agenda: It may be time for a cow tax …” (“The UN’s Big Climate Report Buried Some Bad News About Our Eating Habits,” Mother Jones, 8/11/2021)

But Will House Democrats, Some Of Whom Supported Calls In The Green New Deal To ‘Get Rid Of Farting Cows’ And ‘Address Factory Farming,’ Vote For A Budget That Protects Farmers And Ranchers From The Onerous Regulations On Agriculture They Desire?

“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sought to explain a recent document from her office that linked ‘farting cows’ to climate change, saying that serious climate policy needs to address agriculture. A set of frequently asked questions released by her office this month as part of the rollout of her ‘Green New Deal’ proposal to fight climate change mentioned cow flatulence as a problem, but her staff later denounced the document. Ocasio-Cortez didn’t directly defend the statement in an interview that aired late Thursday on Showtime’s ‘Desus & Mero,’ but said that climate policy might need to look into reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. ‘In the deal, what we talk about is ... that we need to take a look at factory farming, period. It’s wild,’ she told hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero on the premier of their show’s first season on the network. ‘And so, it’s not to say you get rid of agriculture. It’s not to say we’re going to force everybody to go vegan or anything crazy like that. But it’s to say, listen, we’ve got to address factory farming. Maybe we shouldn’t be eating a hamburger for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Like, let’s keep it real,’ she continued. ‘We have to take a look at everything.’” (“Ocasio-Cortez Explains ‘Farting Cows’ Comment: ‘We’ve Got To Address Factory Farming,’” The Hill, 2/22/2019)

“The Green New Deal … is, at its core, a progressive mission statement for tackling the big problems around climate change and expanding the social safety net. For this reason, the actual resolution’s legislative text has come under criticism in its own right. But the fact sheet opened up the Green New Deal to ridicule … It said things like the carbon emission goals were set at net zero in 10 years instead of at zero ‘because we aren’t sure that we’ll be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast’ … Per [Ocasio-Cortez staff’s] account, this fact sheet got ‘leaked’ before it was ready; a statement that doesn’t quite match up with the accounts of multiple news organizations who say Ocasio-Cortez’s office sent them the fact sheet along with the final resolution.” (“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Rocky Rollout Of The Green New Deal, Explained,” Vox, 2/11/2019)