NOT AWARE HE VOTED FOR INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Daily News Journal’s weekly columnist Sam Stockard asked Bill Ketron why he voted for Race To The Federal Trough along with every other Republican legislator from Rutherford County. Here is what Ketron said:
Asked if he knows what the international benchmarks are, state Sen. Bill Ketron said, “I do not. We were told they would come from the U.S. Department of Education. The thing was on a fast track,” Ketron said. “We barely had time to read through it. It’s voluminous.”
Yet Ketron and fellow Republicans, Sen. Jim Tracy, of Shelbyville, Rep. Donna Rowland of Murfreesboro, Rep. Joe Carr of Lascassas and Rep. Pat Marsh of Shelbyville, members of the Rutherford County delegation, voted for it. Only state Rep. Kent Coleman, a Murfreesboro Democrat, voted against it.
So Republican Senator Bill Ketron admits that he voted for a massive overhaul of Tennessee’s education system without knowing much of what it actually accomplished. He also admits that as a “conservative” Republican, he thinks its just great to beg for half a billion dollars in stimulus cash with strings attached - strings that could bind our teachers to international standards. Sounds like something Tennessee’s Tea Party crowd would really oppose, but they are deathly silent on the matter because the legislation was backed by their republican overlords Ron Ramsey and Glen Casada. Just more evidence that the Tea Party crowd are willing to ignore their own stated beliefs if republicans tell them to, just like they did when they gave George W. Bush free reign to plunge our nation into huge war debts and pass unfunded federal mandates like No Child Left Behind.
Here’s how Rutherford County’s delegation voted when it came to tying teachers’ jobs to factors beyond their control: Kent Coleman (D) - NO, Joe Carr (R) - YES, Donna Rowland (R) - YES, Bill Ketron (R) - YES, Jim Tracy (R) -YES.
Last week’s Special Session called by Governor Bredesen to overhaul Tennessee’s education system was a locomotive speeding towards passage that even Superman could not have stopped. This massive legislation was debated in committees for a single day, and passed on the Senate and House floor the next.
Every Republican Representative voted to seek stimulus cash through federal Race To The Top grants, and our Democratic Governor and Democratic Caucuses backed the measure as well even though it meant adopting federal guidelines tying teachers’ performance to mere test scores . Only a handful of Democrats (8 to be exact) were willing to stand up for teachers and say ‘NO’ to a governor of their own Party and their own caucus leadership.
Our own Rep. Kent Coleman was the only Rutherford County legislator to stand on principle and stand up for teachers when it came time to vote, even though he knew he was also standing right in front of a speeding locomotive. It took the courage of Superman to rise and say this on the House floor last Friday night:
FORCED TO CO-SPONSOR DEMOCRATIC BILL TO DELAY HIS OWN LAW
A big win for small independent contractors occurred yesterday when republican Senator Bill Ketron, under pressure from independent contractors across the state, was forced to co-sponsor a Democratic bill he did not support last year to delay his own law, Public Chapter 1041, from taking effect. Ketron has finally agreed to support Democrat Tim Barnes’ bill (SB7001) that postpones until March 11, 2011 the deadline for contractors to purchase costly extra insurance. Interestingly, Ketron just last year did not support the delay sponsored by Senator Barnes of Clarksville, a Democrat.
Barnes sponsored SB2055 in 2009 in order to protect small independent contractors from the high costs of new insurance required by the Public Chapter 1041 Law which Ketron sponsored and passed in 2008. Ketron, a republican from Murfreesboro, abstained from voting for Barnes’ delay.
But now that he’s taken so much heat from Tennessee’s small business owners, he thinks delaying his own law is a great idea. He has demanded to be added to the list of co-sponsors of Barnes’ re-introduced bill (now SB7001), a bill he previously did not support.
Barnes’ bill to delay Ketron’s law will come up for a vote today at 1:00 in the Finance Ways & Means committee during Special Session. Unless Ketron abstains from voting again, he has officially flip-flopped on his own law. Maybe Ketron should have supported a delay led by Democrats last year, before he lost the support of Tennessee’s independent contractors.
NASHVILLE - Citing the slumping economy’s devastating effects on small-business owners, Democratic lawmakers Joe Pitts and Tim Barnes are seeking to delay until 2011 a state law that forces all building contractors to carry workers’ compensation insurance.
The law in question, sponsored by Republican House Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol and Republican state Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro, went into effect on Dec. 31. Some building and small-business groups have said the new workers’ compensation policies are too costly for their members, especially at a time when the construction industry is in a downturn.
“Mr. Ketron and Mr. Mumpower are more worried about helping their big business buddies than on helping the self-employed guy out here trying to make ends meet,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said. “The workers’ compensation bill they shepherded through the legislature may put some small-business owners in a real financial bind or even out of business.”
Sen. Tim Barnes (D-Clarksville)
“We need lawmakers in the General Assembly who understand the challenges we face and work tirelessly to make Tennessee a better place to live and raise a family. Policies that create jobs for our communities, ensure our children are well educated and make our lives more comfortable should be at the top of the priority list, not how to take care of a special interest group contributing to your campaign.”
State Rep. Pitts and state Sen. Barnes have introduced a bill delaying the new workers’ compensation law, which forces general contractors to carry the insurance on subcontractors and other workers who were not otherwise covered. As written, the new law also applies to sole proprietors and partnerships with six or fewer employees.
“They can’t pay when they are an industry that has been devastated by this recession and their income has shrunk dramatically,” said Jim Brown, Tennessee director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, during a recent television interview with WSMV-TV in Nashville.
Efforts by Pitts and Barnes to delay implementation of the law were scuttled last year. The General Assembly, however, will convene tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 12, a special session dealing with education reforms and the workers’ compensation issue.
Many lawmakers agree the law is flawed and hope it can be delayed until all concerns can be addressed.
“I hope this next session will focus on real concerns for the state and not be a venue to score cheap political points for the November elections,” Forrester said. “We have too much riding on the future of this state to waste time on grandstanding and nonsense.”
ANSWERS EMPHATICALLY THAT TENNESSEE DEMOCRATS’ PRIORITY IS EDUCATION AND WHAT WE STAND FOR
Rep. Kent Coleman (D-Murfreesboro) answered hard questions put to him by the Daily News Journal in Sunday’s edition. While other lawmakers are tiptoeing around education issues being handled in an upcoming Special Session of the General Assembly, Coleman clearly and precisely expressed his opinions on the matter of federal Race To The Top funding and teacher tenure, even when they differed from those of our Democratic governor. He also did the best job in recent memory of calling out Republicans for voting against education funding and then claiming the credit when Democrats got it done, and stating precisely why the Democratic Party of Tennessee is the only party in the state that has proper education of our children as its top priority:
Coleman: I do believe the Democratic Party has the strongest commitment to public education between the two parties. And I’ll give you an example. A few years ago, Gov. Bredesen put forth a proposal to raise about $250 million for school systems through a tobacco tax, and it raised (about) $20 million recurring money for Rutherford County and (Murfreesboro) city school systems. I was the only person in that commission meeting last week that voted to raise that money. But I sat there and listened to the members of the opposing party. I know one of them said something to the effect of a BEP reduction would be the last thing they would vote to do to our county, and I’m having to sit there and think, ‘You didn’t vote to raise the $20 million for Rutherford County,’ and all these commissioners, I don’t any of them realized that. So, someone’s got to communicate to the public education system that the Democratic Party has always had a strong conviction to the belief of equal education, public education, desegregation, and a lot of those of those issues haven’t been popular in the past, but they remain the strongest basis or the reason the Democratic Party exists in Tennessee, because education is our main expenditure at the state level.
Republican Senator Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro is an insurance salesman. He has taken in over $20,000 in campaign cash from big insurance and large homebuilding special interests. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he sponsored a new state law to force small contractors and subconstractors to spend their hard-earned profits with him and his insurance buddies instead of spending it on their families in tough economic times.
Public Chapter 1041, sponsored by Senator Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) and Rep. Jason Mumpower (R-Bristol) was lobbied for heavily by the Tennessee Hombuilders Association (a special interest group that represents large development companies) and the Tennessee Insurors Association, who greased the wheels of government with copious amounts of campaign cash for Republican lawmakers in order to further the interests of big business over the little guy. It would require all contractors to purchase workers’ compensation insurance even if their only employee is themselves. The new law took effect January 1st, and small contractors are howling mad about it:
Gerry Fridlund, owner of Skybright Metal Roofing in Memphis, found out about the law the hard way when his insurance company sent him a bill for $4,300 last summer.
“I told them I wasn’t going to pay it,” Fridlund told NIT. “When I asked who was responsible for this I was told the Home Builders Association pushed this through. I think they wanted to stop the little guy from bidding up against the big boys. They want to squeeze the sole proprietors and make it difficult for people to start small businesses.”
The new law’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), is himself an insurance salesman who benefits from raising premiums on small contractor businesses. During his current term, special interest PACs representing large home builders, developers and insurance industries gave more than $20,000 to Ketron’s campaign war chest.
The new law’s House sponsor, Rep. Jason Mumpower (R-Bristol), has received $18,000 from special interest PACs representing large home builders, developers and insurance industries during his current term.
Its all fine with Bill Ketron, who will be sending out grossly inflated insurance bills to his customers this year. He doesn’t really care that jobs may be killed to pay for it as long as he gets paid.
Thankfully, Rep. Joe Pitts (D - Clarksville) and Sen. Tim Barnes (D-Clarksville) have listened to the voices of Tennessee’s small business owners and are seeking to delay the enforcement of the new law in Special Session of the General Assembly next week. HB1899 and its companion bill SB2055 delay Ketron’s law until July 1st of 2010. As usual, its up to Democrats to finally stand up for small business owners when republicans and their big business cronies try to sneak in sweetheart deals for themselves.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Bart Gordon announced that he was able to secure funding for Middle Tennessee State University to improve law enforcement and aviation safety training, as well as help MTSU complete a Physical Activity Center that will help fight obesity among children and teens.
MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education will receive $625,000 to enhance their training program for Tennessee law enforcement and forensic specialists. The Institute brings together faculty and students in several scientific specialties to provide educational and training opportunities for law enforcement officers and personnel.
“At a time when many of our sheriff and police departments can’t afford to offer specialized training to officers, this funding will help MTSU continue to provide quality training to Tennessee law enforcement and educate more students to become forensic scientists and technicians,” said Gordon.
The MTSU Department of Aerospace will also receive $700,000 for MTSU to continue its training of air traffic controllers and pilots. MTSU is one of only 14 universities in the country that participates in the Federal Aviation Administration’s AT-CTI program, which is designed to prepare young men and women to attend the FAA Training Academy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Gordon also secured $400,000 for MTSU’s Physical Activity Center, which will organize media and advocacy campaigns to emphasize the importance of physical activity for children and adolescents
Joe Bales, Vice President for Development and University Relations at MTSU, said, “We are extremely grateful to Congressman Gordon and the members of the Tennessee delegation for their continued support of our teaching, research and service efforts. These funds will enable us to expand our existing programs in forensics and aerospace and allow us further develop our innovative efforts at addressing childhood obesity, one of our state and nation’s leading health concerns.”
Gordon secured the funding for each project in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2010, which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives today. The bill is expected to be passed by the Senate and then signed into law before the end of the year.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Gordon and his colleagues approved bipartisan legislation to require companies holding sensitive personal information to secure that data and provide notice to American consumers when that data is compromised.
“According to a recent report, almost 340 million records containing ‘sensitive personal information’ have been ‘involved in security breaches since January 2005’,” said Gordon. “It is essential that consumers’ personal information, whether it is collected online or through other means, is safe.”
The House-passed bill, the Data Accountability and Trust Act (H.R. 2221), directs the FTC to create rules requiring any person involved in interstate commerce who owns or possesses data containing personal information, or has a third party maintaining the data, to create procedures regarding information security practices to protect personal information. The practices include a security policy to collect, sell, and maintain the information, a point of contact responsible for the management of information, and a process to assess any system vulnerabilities.
“If there is a security breach of any kind,” Gordon stated, “this bill will not only better protect consumers’ personal information, but it will also require data companies to notify each individual whose personal information has been acquired by an unauthorized person.”
With limited exceptions, all security breach notifications would have to be made to each individual consumer within 60 days and the FTC would also have to be notified. If online companies did not comply with the bill’s new regulations, they could face a fine of $5 million for each violation.
The bill was written and approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, of which Gordon is a member. Having passed the House, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration.
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved Congressman Bart Gordon’s bipartisan legislation to ban the importation of foreign radioactive waste. Gordon’s bill, the Radioactive Import Deterrence (RID) Act, H.R. 515, would prevent foreign-generated radioactive waste from being processed in Tennessee and disposed in the U.S.
“The United States stands alone as the only country in the world that imports other countries’ radioactive waste for permanent disposal,” Gordon said as he explained his bill on the House floor. “The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently considering the importation of 20,000 tons of Italian waste. Other countries are reading the signs that the U.S. is poised to become a nuclear dumping ground, permit applications are also pending for the importation of Brazilian and Mexican waste.”
The Italian waste importation would be the largest importation ever of foreign-generated radioactive waste. If the permits for the Italian, Brazilian, and Mexican waste importations are approved, the nuclear waste shipments would be sent to Tennessee for processing and later disposed in Utah.
Gordon has led the effort in Congress to stop these importations and ban the practice of allowing other countries to dispose their radioactive waste in the U.S. The bipartisan RID Act would prohibit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from authorizing the importation of foreign-generated low-level nuclear waste for disposal in the U.S. unless the President deems the importation would meet critical national or international goals.
“This waste is generated all over the United States, but finding permanent disposal sites has proved difficult,” said Gordon. “Foreign waste threatens the capacity we have set aside in this country for the waste generated by our domestic industries—our medical facilities, university research labs and utility companies. It is critical that Congress protect that capacity. Today’s vote brings the RID Act one step closer to becoming law.”
One site, located in Utah, stores 99% of the United States’ low-level radioactive waste. Gordon’s bill would preserve the limited disposal space at this site for domestic companies that generate low-level radioactive waste. Having passed the House, the bill now moves to the Senate.
Republicans controlled this year’s session of the Tennessee legislature for the first time since reconstruction (1870’s). They took over in a time of unprecedented economic hardship and sagging revenues, adding up to a budget mess that required quick action. What did republicans do with their newfound leadership opportunities? They plugged the budget holes with the very stimulus money they protested, passed “Guns in Bars”, and headed home with their pockets full of per diem checks.
All the while, far right Tennessee Republicans made impassioned speeches about “following the Constitution”, the evils of the stimulus package (yet spent it to plug budget holes), and “limited government”. They even formed a committee to study secession.
Now a Chancery Judge has ruled that the “Guns in Bars” law is unconstitutionally vague, citing that it is problematic for police and small business owners (you know, the ones republicans claim to protect). Following the Constitution to the letter is the one thing all republicans pride themselves in and espouse constantly. This year, when they finally took power for the first time since reconstruction, they couldn’t even do that. The City Paper has the story
In her ruling, [Chancellor] Bonnyman agreed the law was too vague and “does violate the due process rights of the public in general and plaintiff gun permit holders.” The chancellor based her decision on the fact that permit holders cannot determine whether or not they are in violation of the law.
“The principle business being conducted cannot be known to the ordinary citizen,” Bonnyman said. “Inquiry would not be satisfactory or helpful.”
It’s not clear whether or not the Attorney General will appeal the ruling, which effectively eliminated the statute from the law. The legislature is likely to address a new version of the bill in the next session but it is unclear whether or not a guns-in-bar provision will see the same support.
Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas spoke out in support of Bonnyman’s decision, and said his one concern he had was that the ruling would allow the issue to “again take center stage during the next legislative session instead of the vitally important issue of keeping convicted felons behind bars.”
November 18, 2009, WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. Congressman Bart Gordon strongly supports the AFG program, which has awarded federal grants to fire departments throughout Tennessee to purchase new equipment.
“The AFG program was established in 2000 to help local fire departments and emergency medical services organizations purchase equipment. Since then, Tennessee’s fire stations have received more than $108 million in grants,” said Gordon
The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act was authored and approved by the House Science and Technology Committee, which is chaired by Gordon. The bill lowers the matching funds requirements for the AFG awards, which will allow more fire stations to apply for the grants. Grant recipients would be required to match 10% of the grant’s funding, and the bill allows the Administrator of the program to waive or reduce the matching requirements for applicants that have demonstrated economic hardship.
The AFG program has awarded 1,331 grants to emergency response organizations in Tennessee since its creation.
“Countless lives are saved every day by the courageous efforts of first responders, firefighters and EMTs. The AFG program has helped fire stations get the resources they need to better respond to emergencies,” said Gordon. “The bill we passed today will make it easier for fire departments in Middle Tennessee and across the country to obtain grants from this program.”
WASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Gordon supported three bipartisan bills today aimed at helping small businesses in Tennessee and around the country. Each bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The House approved the Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act (H.R. 3014), which would create a loan program in the U.S. Small Business Administration to help medical professionals purchase health information technology.
“Numerous studies have shown that if doctors and hospitals started using secure health information technology systems, like electronic medical records, billions of dollars could be saved each year nationwide,” said Gordon who has been a longtime advocate for reducing the costs of practicing medicine.
Earlier this year, the President implemented a tort reform initiative that Gordon developed to reduce the number of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits that doctors face.
The House also passed the Small Business Early-Stage Investment Act (H.R. 3738) and the Expand Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 1842). Both measures aim to support new, promising small businesses.
“Early-stage businesses have been found to be some of the best job creators, but starting a new business is no easy task,” said Gordon. “These bills create important SBA programs that will assist small businesses in getting up and running. Helping small businesses grow is especially important for Tennessee’s economy, where more than 95% of our state’s private workforce is employed by small businesses.”
The Small Business Early-Stage Investment Act creates an SBA investment program tasked with providing grants to small businesses involved in health information technology, digital technology, defense technology, and agriculture research and development. The Expand Entrepreneurship Act directs the SBA to develop a comprehensive plan that identifies a strategy for each SBA region to create jobs through its programs.
Having passed the House, the three bills will now move to the Senate for consideration.
On this Veterans Day, more than 190,000 of our brave men and women are currently fighting for our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. Going to war takes incredible courage, and each and every service member currently deployed is in our thoughts and prayers. All Americans appreciate their commitment to defending our freedoms.
We owe them more than just our gratitude though; we have an obligation to serve those who have volunteered to serve our country. The unfortunate reality is that here at home, there are about 185,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are unemployed and looking for work. These veterans bravely served our country, and the skills they developed during their military service – from their strong work ethic and unwavering loyalty to their commitment toward achieving goals bigger than themselves – would be of great value to any business.
Many, however, have been caught in the turmoil of the current economic climate. As the United States climbs out of this recession, my goal has been to support efforts aimed at helping them obtain the additional skills needed to compete for today’s jobs.
Last year, Congress passed the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, legislation that expanded educational benefits for military veterans who have served since September 11, 2001. In August, military veterans throughout Middle Tennessee and across the United States started receiving benefits from the new G.I. Bill, which includes covering 100% of a four-year public undergraduate education.
I strongly supported this bill because it will allow an estimated 2 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to return to the classroom and get the education they need and deserve without having to worry about costs. Not only does the new G.I. Bill cover tuition, but it also helps with books and housing expenses.
In addition to the new G.I. Bill, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Veterans Retraining Act, which will further help veterans obtain the skills needed to get a new job. This legislation would authorize the U.S. Labor Department to pay monthly living and housing stipends to veterans enrolled in employment-training programs that teach skills in particular demand.
In Smyrna, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced its plans to open a new patient service call center to help serve veterans and 19 VA hospitals. This center is expected to create as many as 450 new jobs. Hiring will begin later this year, and the federal government will offer veterans special preference for these jobs, which will provide much needed job opportunities for veterans in our area.
As the current economic climate improves, I remain committed to ensuring that veterans are part of the recovery.
HR 3962, the health care proposal in U.S. House, narrowly passed last night 220-215 with 1 republican, Rep. Cao of Louisiana, voting in favor of the bill. 39 Democrats joined 176 Republicans in voting against the first health care reform bill to make it to the House floor since 1965. From a press release:
WASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Gordon voted against the House health care bill (H.R. 3962) today, citing concerns about its ability to reduce health care costs.
“I firmly believe that any responsible health care bill must do two things: improve access to health care for small businesses and the uninsured, and reduce health care spending. This bill does one but not the other, it falls short of sufficiently cutting health care spending.”
The Congressional Budget Office recently evaluated H.R. 3962 and indicated that the bill would not reduce, but instead would increase, the federal government’s spending on health care over the long-term.
“Currently, one out of every six dollars is spent on health care in the United States,” stated Gordon. “It’s unsustainable to keep health care spending where it is now. We must decrease the amount of money our country spends on health care.”
Gordon made his decision after studying the bill’s provisions and listening to the concerns of Middle Tennesseans during numerous public forums, telephone town halls, face-to-face meetings, as well as thousands of phone calls and emails since debate on the issue started earlier this year.
“This process of drafting health care proposals has been both lengthy and healthy. I’ve received valuable comments and suggestions from the Middle Tennesseans I represent. However, we still have a long way to go,” said Gordon. “Any health care bill that is ultimately signed into law must not increase the federal deficit or our long-term spending on health care. I am hopeful that the Senate and House can work through the amendment process and conference committee and get to a point where we have a better bill that incorporates bipartisan ideas that I can support.”
WASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Gordon announced today that the U.S. Department of Defense is making special payments available for service members who have had their enlistments involuntarily extended since September 11, 2001.
“It takes a tremendous amount of courage for service members to continue standing in harm’s way when they’ve been apart from their families for so long,” said Gordon who voted for the 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act, which established this new initiative. “While no amount of money can make up for the burden of extended deployments, I hope these payments will help our soldiers know how much we appreciate their commitment and honor their service.”
The U.S. Department of Defense is providing service members with $500 for every month they were held under stop loss orders between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2009. Since 2001, more than 185,000 service members have been held under stop loss orders.
Service members from all branches of the military, including members of Reserve units, can submit claims for retroactive stop loss pay until October 21, 2010. Each service member will be required to submit documented proof that they were stop lossed. Family members of deceased service members may also apply for payments.
For specific information about how service members from each branch of the military can apply for payments, please visit the following websites:
“While each branch of the military would like eligible service members to apply online, if you don’t have access to the Internet, you can call my office for assistance,” added Gordon.
Those who have questions or need assistance with the application process should call Congressman Gordon’s Murfreesboro office at (615) 896-1986.
NOT AWARE HE VOTED FOR INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Here’s how Rutherford County’s delegation voted when it came to tying teachers’ jobs to factors 
Republican Senator Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro is an insurance salesman. He has taken in over $20,000 in campaign cash from big insurance and large homebuilding special interests. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he sponsored a new state law to force small contractors and subconstractors to spend their hard-earned profits with him and his insurance buddies instead of spending it on their families in tough economic times.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Bart Gordon announced that he was able to secure funding for Middle Tennessee State University to improve law enforcement and aviation safety training, as well as help MTSU complete a Physical Activity Center that will help fight obesity among children and teens.
Republicans controlled this year’s session of the Tennessee legislature for the first time since reconstruction (1870’s). They took over in a time of unprecedented economic hardship and sagging revenues, adding up to a budget mess that required quick action. What did republicans do with their newfound leadership opportunities? They plugged the budget holes with the very stimulus money they protested, passed “Guns in Bars”, and headed home with their 
HR 3962, the health care proposal in U.S. House, narrowly passed last night 220-215 with 1 republican, Rep. Cao of Louisiana, voting in favor of the bill. 39 Democrats joined 176 Republicans in voting against the first health care reform bill to make it to the House floor since 1965. From a press release:
