Recent Senate Votes Increase in the Minimum Wage - Vote Failed (52-46, 2 Not Voting) This amendment fell short of the 60 votes needed to approve a raise in the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Jim DeMint voted NO......send e-mail or see bio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minimum Wage Adjustment - Vote Rejected (45-53, 2 Not Voting) The Senate rejected this proposal to raise the minimum wage to $6.25 while decreasing taxes and regulations for small businesses. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Jim DeMint voted NO......send e-mail or see bio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redeployment of troops in Iraq by 2007 - Vote Rejected (13-86, 1 Not Voting) During the debate over the defense authorization bill, the Senate rejected this amendment calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by July 2007. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Jim DeMint voted NO......send e-mail or see bio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gradual redeployment of troops in Iraq - Vote Rejected (39-60, 1 Not Voting) The Senate rejected this non-binding "sense of the Senate" resolution calling for a gradual pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Jim DeMint voted NO......send e-mail or see bio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recent House Votes Defense Appropriations Act, FY2007 - Vote Passed (407-19, 6 Not Voting) The House passed this $427 billion bill that would fund the Department of Defense for the 2007 fiscal year. Rep. J. Gresham Barrett voted YES......send e-mail or see bio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act - Vote Passed (269-156, 8 Not Voting) This House bill would permanently exempt estates worth less than $5 million per spouse from estate taxes. Rep. J. Gresham Barrett voted YES......send e-mail or see bio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legislative Line Item Veto Act - Vote Passed (247-172, 14 Not Voting) This bill would allow the president to veto specific items in spending bills. Rep. J. Gresham Barrett voted YES......send e-mail or see bio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Votes Flag Desecration Resolution - S.J.Res.12 The Senate is scheduled to begin debate of this proposed constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Science, State, Justice, Commerce Appropriations Act, FY2007 - H.R.5672 The House is scheduled to take up this $60 billion bill funding the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce and various science agencies for the 2007 fiscal year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006 - H.R.4761 This House bill would expand oil and natural gas exploration in coastal waters. WASHINGTON -- Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that will increase their salaries to $168,500. The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate. Lawmakers easily squelched a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it. In the early days of GOP control of Congress, lawmakers routinely denied themselves the annual COLA. Last year, the Senate voted 92-6 to deny the raise but quietly surrendered the position in House-Senate talks As part of an ethics reform bill in 1989, Congress gave up their ability to accept pay for speeches and made annual cost-of-living pay increases automatic unless the lawmakers voted otherwise. The pay issue has been linked to the annual Transportation and Treasury Department spending bill because that measure stipulates that civil servants get raises of 2.7 percent, the same as military personnel will receive. Under a complicated formula, the increase translates to 2 percent for members of Congress. Like last year, Matheson led a quixotic drive to block the raise. He was the only member to speak on the topic. "I do not think that it is appropriate to let this bill go through without an up or down vote on whether or not Congress should have an increase in its own pay," Matheson said. But by a 249-167 vote, the House rejected Matheson's procedural attempt to get a direct vote on the pay raise. The pay raise would also apply to the vice president - who is president of the Senate - congressional leaders and Supreme Court justices. This year, Vice President Cheney, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Chief Justice William Rehnquist receive $212,100. Associate justices receive $203,000. House and Senate party leaders get $183,500. President George W. Bush's salary of $400,000 is unaffected by the legislation.

The bill replaces 10 taxes, including payroll, fica, social security, medicare, inheritance, savings, capital gains, gift taxes, business and corporaste taxes - and replaces them with a comprehensive consumption tax. With my $26k salary - I will recognize a 12% increase in take home pay. - I can pay the additional 1% out of the 12%. AND - all Americans will get a 'prebate' of the 'poverty' level that we don't pay taxes on. This year, as long as you earn the minimums, each adult will get $188 and each child - $65 - PER MONTH! Our economy will take off - and we will all benefit - Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Conservative and liberals. And it will take care of our poor folks and allow us all AND our 50 million visitors to contribute to our economy and our government. the FAIR TAX ACT H.R. 25.

House Bill: H.R.4752 and............ Universal National Service Act of 2006 Declares that it is the obligation of every U.S. citizen, and every other person residing in the United States, between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a two-year period of national service, unless exempted, either as a member of an active or reserve component of the armed forces or in a civilian capacity that promotes national defense. Requires induction into national service by the President. Sets forth provisions governing: (1) induction deferments, postponements, and exemptions, including exemption of a conscientious objector from military service that includes combatant training; and (2) discharge following national service. Amends the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the military registration of females. Have you heard about this Bill? You can read the bill printed in its introduced form: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c109query.html Just drop down for the BILL NUMBER.