Democratic Accomplishments in the 110th Congress: Leading America
in a New Direction

Less than six
months into the 110th Congress, Senate Democrats have made significant
strides in passing important, common-sense legislation that reflect the
priorities of the American people.  After nearly a decade of
Republican control, Democrats have worked to restore fiscal
responsibility in Washington and pass key legislation on Iraq policy,
homeland security, troop readiness, veterans’ health care,
economic competitiveness, ethics reform, the minimum wage, health care,
education, energy independence, stem cell research, and Gulf Coast
revitalization.  Democrats are committed to proving that elections
do matter, and we will continue to pursue the international and
domestic priorities that matter most to the American people. 
Together, we will take the country in a new direction. 

Under Democratic leadership, the Senate has passed the following measures:

• A fiscally responsible budget: a budget that restores fiscal discipline and
  will lead to a surplus, while cutting middle-class taxes and funding
  foreign anddomestic priorities, including education, children’s health care, veterans, and our troops;

• 9/11 Commission recommendations: a
  bill to make America more secure by giving our first responders the
  tools they need to keep us safe; making it more difficult for potential
  terrorists to travel into our country; advancing efforts to secure our
  rail, air, and mass transit systems; and improving intelligence and
  information sharing between state, local, and federal law enforcement
  agencies;

• Homeland security funding: legislation
  that provides $1.05 billion in funding necessary to address dangerous
  border and transit vulnerabilities left open by the Bush Administration
  since 9/11;

• Support for our troops: legislation
  funding the President’s requests for Operation Iraqi Freedom and
  Operation Enduring Freedom, including $1.2 billion in additional
  funding for a total of $3 billion to provide our troops in Iraq with
  mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles;

• Health care for wounded soldiers and veterans: legislation
  that provides $3 billion in supplemental funds for military health care
  and $1.8 billion in supplemental funds to the Department of
  Veterans’ Affairs to accommodate the increasing number of new
  veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan;

• Benchmarks for Iraq: legislation
  that conditions U.S. economic support for the Iraqi government on its
  progress toward achieving key political benchmarks;

• National Guard readiness: legislation
  to provide an additional $1 billion to President Bush’s request
  for National Guard equipment needs to remedy equipment shortfalls that
  are compromising the quality of force training and limiting the
  Guard’s ability to quickly respond to natural and potential
  man-made disasters at home;

• Continuing Resolution: legislation
  providing funding for the nine remaining appropriations bills that were
  not completed by Republicans in the 109th Congress.  In passing
  this legislation, Democrats stayed within budget limits, eliminated
  earmarks, and increased funding for national priorities, including
  veterans’ medical care, Pell grants, elementary and secondary
  education, the National Institutes of Health, state and local law
  enforcement, and global AIDS prevention and treatment;
• Energy Bill:
  landmark legislation to increase our energy independence, strengthen
  the economy, reduce global warming emissions, and protect American
  consumers.

• American competitiveness: bipartisan
  legislation to increase the nation’s investment in basic and
  innovative research; strengthen educational opportunities in science,
  technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through
  graduate school; and develop the infrastructure needed to enhance
  innovation and competitiveness in the United States;

• Ethics and lobbying reform: a
  bill to slow the “revolving door” for former Senators and
  staff, strengthen limits on gifts and travel, expand lobbying
  disclosure requirements, establish a study commission on ethics and
  lobbying, prohibit pensions for Members of Congress convicted of
  certain crimes, and implement reform procedures relating to earmarks
  and conference reports;

• Minimum wage: legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25/hour;

• Middle-class tax cuts: the 2008 Budget Resolution
  provides for permanent extensions of the Marriage Penalty tax relief,
  the $1,000 refundable Child Tax Credit; the 10 percent income tax
  bracket; the adoption tax credit; the dependent care tax credit; U.S.
  soldiers’ combat pay for the earned income tax credit;
  and reform of the estate tax to protect small businesses and family
  farms;

• AMT patch: the 2008 Budget Resolution
  ensures that the number of taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum
  tax will not increase in 2007, giving Congress and the Administration
  time to come up with a permanent solution; 

• Head Start: a bill to expand eligibility for the Head Start program;
• Stem cell research: legislation to expand the number of human embryonic stem cells eligible for federally-funded research; 

• Children’s health coverage: the 2008 Budget Resolution and the 2007 Emergency Supplemental provide needed funds for the Children’s Health Insurance Program;

• FDA reauthorization: a bill to greatly improve the Food and Drug Administration’s oversight of drug safety;

• Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: legislation
  providing a total of $6.4 billion for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and
  Rita, including $1.3 billion to complete levee and drainage repairs,
  $50 million to reduce violent crime in Gulf Coast states, and $110
  million to repair the seafood and fisheries industries, which is vital
  to the region’s economic recovery; 

• Army Corps reform: legislation to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers does its job more effectively and soundly;

• Disaster assistance for small businesses: legislation
  providing recovery assistance for small businesses impacted by the 2005
  hurricanes in an effort to revitalize the Gulf Coast economy;

• U.S. Attorney appointments: legislation
  ending the indefinite appointment of interim U.S. Attorneys and
  restoring the role of the Senate in the selection of U.S. Attorneys;

• Tax relief for small businesses: legislation providing a range of deficit-neutral tax incentives designed to help small businesses grow;

• Education and training: the 2008 Budget Resolution provides for the largest increase since 2002 in funding for elementary and secondary programs; and

• Energy and environment programs: legislation
  increasing funding for basic science research at the Department of
  Energy and for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

 

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