Republican Party

Committee Democrats Forced to Pass Landmark Bill Without Republican Participation

November 5, 2009 -- Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) today passed landmark climate change legislation to combat global warming and invest in a new clean energy economy. Because the Republican members of the Committee declined to propose amendments to the legislation and boycotted the Committee's meetings to consider the bill, the Committee approved EPW Committee Chairman Boxer's "mark" of the legislation without amendment.    » read more »

November 4, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., today issued the following statement regarding the Senate’s long-awaited passage of an Unemployment Insurance benefits extension following weeks of partisan delays:

“While I remain outraged that Senate Republicans decided to engage in nearly a month of political gamesmanship before working with us to extend unemployment benefits for millions of laid-off American workers, I’m relieved that aid for these families is around is finally the corner.

“In New Mexico, more than 150,000 residents are jobless as a result of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Now we will finally be able to send them a financial lifeline to keeping roofs over their heads and food on their tables.    » read more »

GOP proposal is a bailout for insurance companies, congressman says.

November 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) today said he was underwhelmed by the health care legislation advanced by the House Republicans as an alternative to the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The congressman pointed out that the historic effort of the past 10 months incorporates items that were proposed by Republicans in Congress.    » read more »

Oil Industry Voter Guide Gives Inhofe Perfect Score

WASHINGTON, DC (November 3, 2009) – The National Wildlife Federation has uncovered a little-known legislative scorecard and Voter Guide from the American Petroleum Institute, revealing Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) earned a perfect score from the oil industry’s top trade association last year.    » read more »

10/13/2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), a senior member of the Finance Committee, today addressed his Republican colleagues before the Committee’s final passage of comprehensive health care legislation.

“Should we add another 20 million Americans to the ranks of the uninsured over the next decade?” Senator Kerry asked in a challenge to the committee’s Republican members. “Because if we fail to act now, that’s exactly what will happen.”    » read more »

Statement of Senator John Kerry

10/08/2009 -- “Even as we sit down each day and meet with Republicans and Democrats committed to finding common ground and consensus, the RPC has continues to get its facts upside-down and backwards.

The Kerry-Boxer bill will put millions of Americans back to work by investing in energy solutions made in America, that work for America. It actually boosts our manufacturing sector by making sure American companies are more competitive globally and protects us from foreign companies that try to pollute their way to lower prices. We are open to every constructive idea that helps solve our energy and climate challenges, but distortions don’t do a thing to fix the problems Americans sent us to Washington to fix.“    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- "These videotapes that are the excuse for this amendment understandably have offended most who have heard about them, including me. I detest the stupidity and crassness that they depict. If people have acted improperly, they should be fired, and if they have acted illegally, they should be prosecuted, period. The Obama Administration has been equally critical.

ACORN is not the reason for my vote. There is not even an ACORN office in my entire state. Nor, for that matter, is there any reason to believe that this group ever has or ever would have any interest or expertise in applying for competitive grants under the programs funded in this Interior Appropriations Bill.    » read more »

Sanders Warning on Speculators: ‘They’re Back!’

WASHINGTON, June 22 – Senate Republicans today blocked consideration of an amendment by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to require federal regulators to use emergency powers to curb oil price speculation.

“What are they afraid of? Who are they trying to protect?” Sanders asked.

“There is mounting evidence that the run-up in oil prices has little to do with the fundamentals of supply and demand and everything to do with excessive speculation by some of the same Wall Street firms that received the largest taxpayer bailout in the history of the world,” Sanders said. “They're back,” he warned.    » read more »

May 21, 2009 -- HARRISBURG — Elimination of funding for the Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform as proposed by the Senate Republican budget plan would end a wide range of critical projects focused on reducing the rate of health care cost increases, improving quality of care and expanding access, GOHCR director Ann Torregrossa said today.    » read more »

May 20, 2009, Juneau, Alaska - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin today welcomed the news that Congress has passed legislation that would permit visitors to carry loaded firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges, subject to the requirements of state law. The provision was included in legislation placing new restrictions on the way in which credit card companies deal with consumers.

“This is certainly good news for Alaska,” Governor Palin said. “The ability to carry a firearm can define a life or death situation, especially for protection against surprise encounters with wildlife, mainly bears. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support this received in the House and Senate. I am pleased the administration says the president will sign the bill.”    » read more »

May 13, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary Salazar released the following statement in response to Republicans voting down David Hayes to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Secretary Salazar continued to work with Republicans on the hill in anticipation of the vote.

“This was a tired vote of bitter obstructionism. It may be uncomfortable for some to watch us have to clean up mess after mess – from corruption to lawbreaking - that is the previous Administration’s legacy at Interior, but to cast a vote against such a qualified and fine person is the height of cynicism.    » read more »

WASHINGTON (May 14, 2009) -- As momentum builds in the Energy and Commerce Committee behind comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation (the American Clean Energy and Security Act), Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas) has released an alternative plan that would set back progress toward a clean energy future, according to experts at the Natural Resources Defense Council.    » read more »

May 6, 2009 -- JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon today released the following statement on the Missouri House's failure to adopt the conference committee report for House Bill 11:

"Missouri has a 25-year high in unemployment and a little more than one week remaining in the legislative session, yet the Republican-led legislature has done virtually nothing to improve our state's economy.    » read more »

May 6, 2009 -- (BOISE) – Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter is urging Congress to reject yet another sweeping attempt by singer/activist Carole King and her supporters to lock up about 9 million more acres of Idaho in wilderness – almost tripling the amount of Idaho acreage withdrawn from multiple use.

In a letter to Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, and Congressman Doc Hastings of Washington, the committee’s ranking Republican, the Governor called the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) “a radical wilderness bill of unprecedented scale that will have disastrous consequences for Idaho and the West.”    » read more »

Ads Target 10 Members of Congress

April 30, 2009 -- A front group with ties to the energy industry is running misleading radio advertisements in 10 congressional districts to try to undermine support for comprehensive energy and climate legislation that would lower energy costs and create jobs, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The American Energy Alliance (AEA), which was founded in 1993, is headed by Thomas J. Pyle, who served as a staff member for former House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas). The group's Web site says it is an "independent affiliate" of the Institute for Energy Research, which is headed by Robert L. Bradley, former director of public policy analysis at Enron and a speechwriter for CEO Kenneth Lay.    » read more »