Who Cares?

To: 9-11 First Responders

From: Republican Senators

DROP DEAD. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

After ten years of pounding the drum in honor of the emergency workers, firefighters and police officers who were first responders after the worst attack our nation has seen since Pearl Harbor, Republican Senators on Monday seemingly showed how they truly feel about those responders. In a staggeringly lock-step partisan vote, the Republican Senators, with the exception of Sam Brownback of Kansas, unanimously voted to keep the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 from coming to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

Brownback abstained, presumably because he did not want to anger his constituents with a nay vote on this important issue, but was also unwilling to anger his party with a yea vote.

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, voted nay, apparently in order to keep the bill alive for further consideration.

Most Americans are unaware that it is necessary to have a full 60 vote majority to bring a bill to the floor for a vote, in cases where the minority party wishes to block it.

On December 1, 2010, all forty two Republican Senators signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, stating their intention to block from vote any bill that did not include an extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans. At least they seem to be able to stick with their convictions.

UPDATE

Fox "News" reported this story, stating that "the Senate voted 57 to 42 against the bill." They did not note that the vote was 42 Republican (Obstructionist) party votes against bringing the bill to a vote, nor did they vote that the Democratic party was in favor of bringing the bill to a vote. None of the other major networks have even reported the story.

UPDATE 2

It took a bit of looking, but I have now discovered that the "Honorable" Michael Burgess, my Representative in the House of Representatives, also voted with the "nays" when this bill went through the House. I am completely ashamed to be from Texas.

James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010

57 "aye" votes (57 D)

42 "nay" votes (1 D 41 R)

1 abstain (Samuel Brownback, R-KS)

Democrats voting "nay":

Harry Reid, D-NV

Republicans voting "nay":

Lamar Alexander, R-TN
John Barasso, R-WY
Robert Bennett, R-UT
Christopher Bond, R-MO
Scott Brown, R-MA
Jim Bunning, R-KY
Richard Burr, R-NC
Saxby Chambliss, R-GA
Thomas Coburn, R-OK
Thad Cochran, R-MS
Susan Collins, R-ME
Bob Corker, R-TN
John Cornyn, R-TX
Michael Crapo, R-ID
Jim DeMint, R-SC
John Ensign, R-NV
Michael Enzi, R-WY
Lindsey Graham, R-SC
Charles Grassley, R-IA
Judd Gregg, R-NH
Orrin Hatch, R-UT
Kay Hutchinson, R-TX
James Inhofe, R-OK
John Isakson, R-GA
Mike Johanns, R-NE
Mark Kirk, R-IL
Jon Kyl, R-AZ
George LeMieux, R-FL
Richard Lugar, R-IN
John McCain, R-AZ
Mitch McConnell, R-KY
Lisa Murkowski, R-AK
James Risch, R-IN
Pat Roberts, R-KS
Jeff Sessions, R-AL
Richard Shelby, R-AL
Olympia Snowe, R-ME
John Thune, R-SD
David Vitter, R-LA
George Voinovich, R-OH
Roger Wicker, R-MS