Senate Voting from Yesterday
I am not an expert in these opaque matters of legislation and arcane Senate traditions and procedures, but I can point out some things.
The "bailout bill" that the Senate approved 74-25 yesterday (which apparently was really just an amendment) was actually a House Bill, HR 1424 (Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007) sponsored by Patrick Kennedy. What? Isn't this just ridiculous on its face?
It appears that the Senate overwhelmingly approved that US-India Nuclear energy agreement. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but it shouldn't have been so quiet. The vote was 88-13 in favor. Feingold, Boxer and Sheldon Whitehouse were against it. It can't be a good thing in that case.
A bill for appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security, a name which makes me sick to my stomach, passed 78-12. Feingold voted against, along with Lindsay Graham (why?) and Tom Coburn (Does he vote in favor of any spending bill? Yes, if it's a $700 billion financial bailout.)
A bill to provide funding for Low Income Home Energy Assistance passed 50-35, with only Republicans voting against it. But Northeastern Republicans Snowe and Collins (from Maine) and Sununu (NH, and in a tight re-election fight) voted in favor (Gregg from NH voted against). This was called the Warm in Winter, Cool in Summer Act.
A defense authorization bill passed 88-8. In my ideal world this crap loses 88-8, but oh well. At least Tom Coburn stuck to his principles and voted against (I don't know his reasoning for sure) along with Feingold and again Lindsay Graham (why?) and Bernie Sanders.
