| House Completes 100 Hour Agenda
American Values Agenda Serves as Template for Future
January 18 , 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristie Greco : (202) 226-3210
WASHINGTON, DC — House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today delivered the following statement on the passage of the Democrats’ 100 Hours Agenda.
“Many Americans started this week celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who asked us in one of his last sermons to remember him as a Drum Major for justice, peace and righteousness.
“American voters spoke clearly last November. They voted to change the tone in Washington and move the country into a new direction. They put their faith in us to get the job done. But I think it’s fair to say that their support wasn’t unconditional.
“With their trust and confidence in hand, we set out to prove our commitment to change, and we took little time to do it. Roughly 42 legislative hours have tolled in the 110th Congress and we have already made a down payment on the mandate for change given to us by the American people.
“Some will be quick to say we picked the easy stuff, the low-hanging fruit. If it were so easy, why haven’t we raised the minimum wage in a decade? Why have we allowed millions of students to pile up debt, trying to get a decent education? Why haven’t any of the dozen energy bills we voted on over the past decade worked to lessen our dependence on foreign oil?
“We showed the political will to advance an agenda, not for the special interests, but for the American people: greater access to affordable education, safer and more secure communities, a fairer wage for an honest day’s work, a pathway to energy independence, and lower prescription drug costs.
“It’s the beginning of an American Values Agenda, and it’s the template for what can be expected from this Congress in the future. With this agenda, we will be the Drum Major for the hopes and values of the American people.”
The House has passed the following items since January 4, the start of the 110th Congress:
- Ethics Reform, 1/4/07, Passed 430-1 (D 232-0; R 198-1)
- Restoring Fiscal Responsibility, 1/5/07, Passed 280-152 (D 232-0; R 48-152)
100 Hours Legislation
(Maintained an average of almost 62 Republican votes on each bill)
- Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations, 1/9/07, Passed 299-128 (D 231-0; R 68-128)
- Increasing the Minimum Wage, 1/10/07, Passed 315-116 (D 233-0; R 82-116)
- Expanding Stem Cell Research, 1/11/07, Passed 253-174 (D 216-16; R 37-158)
- Requiring Negotiation for Lower Prescription Drug Costs, 1/12/07, Passed 255-170 (D 231-0; R 24-170)
- Cutting Interest Rates on Student Loans, 1/17/07, Passed 356-71 (D 232-0; R 124-71)
- Ending Subsidies for Big Oil and Investing in Renewable Energy, 1/18/07, (D 228-4; R 36-159)
|
|
