House Dems See Defense Experts Tossed Aside

House Dems See Defense Experts Tossed Aside
November 04, 2010
Stars and Stripes|by Leo Shane III
WASHINGTON -- The Republican takeover of the House on Tuesday was largely led by voters’ unhappiness over the economy, but Democrats in the chamber saw major losses in their defense voices as a result.

At least 10 Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee were ousted, including Chairman Ike Skelton, a fixture in the chamber for 33 years.

Their less-experienced replacements will be left to fight against the defense priorities of a Republican majority: an increase in military spending, more emphasis on missile defense, changes to the planned Afghanistan withdrawal timelines, and scuttling plans to close prison facilities at Guantanamo Bay.

The change in power also means that if a “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal isn’t passed this year, it likely won’t find any real legislative support in the House next year.

California Rep. Buck McKeon, in line to take over as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday that Republicans in both the House and Senate chambers are “committed to passing a [bill] that is not weighed down by the current majority’s social agenda items.” And Iraq veteran Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania, the Democrats’ leading advocate for repealing the ban on gays serving openly, lost his re-election race, much to the dismay of House Democrats and gay rights groups.

Republicans in the Senate blocked the annual defense authorization bill in September because it included a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who was re-elected in Nevada, has promised another vote later this year but will need to find at least one Republican ally to move the legislation ahead. House Republicans would get another shot at that bill during reconciliation between the chambers.

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House Dems See Defense Experts Tossed Aside
Some more of his votes and you can find the rest of his votes on VoteSmart

• H.Res.1559 Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5822) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes and providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules.
  On Agreeing to the Resolution: H RES 1559 Providing for consideration of H.R. 5822, making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes and providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules
   Nay (with party)
  July 28, 2010

08/02/2007 Mandatory Troop Rest Periods Between Deployments to Iraq
HR 3159 N Bill Passed - House
(229 - 194)

and then there was this one too

Key Votes:
HR 2206
H Amdt 2: Replacing Titles I and II of House Amdt 1 to HR 2206
H Amdt 1: Departmental Appropriations for Defense, Security, and Hurricane Recovery

Issues: Budget, Spending and Taxes, Business and Consumers, Defense, Foreign Aid and Policy Issues, Labor, Military Issues
Date: 05/10/2007
Sponsor: Rep. Obey, David Ross (D-WI)

Representative McKeon voted NO
Read statements Representative McKeon made in this general time period.


Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to appropriate $118.73 billion to certain departments for various purposes, including the war on terror and Hurricane Katrina efforts, and to raise the minimum wage and reduce business taxes.

Highlights:

-Appropriates $101.93 billion for the Department of Defense.

-Appropriates $6.86 billion for the Department of Homeland Security.

-Appropriates $5.24 billion for the Department of State.

-Appropriates $1.79 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

-Appropriates $1.56 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services.

-Appropriates $909.5 million for the Department of Agriculture.

-Appropriates $717.94 million for the Department of Transportation.

-Expresses the sense of the Congress that U.S. troops should be redeployed from Iraq as battalions of Iraqi security forces become able to conduct security operations on their own (Sec. 1326).

-Increases the federal minimum wage to $5.85 per hour 60 days after the enactment of this bill, $6.55 per hour 12 months after that 60th day, and $7.25 per hour 24 months after that 60th day (Sec. 7102).

-Addresses business tax modifications, including such adjustments as extending the work opportunity tax credit, extending and increasing expensing for small business, extending and expanding the low-income housing credit rules under the Gulf Opportunity Zone Tax for buildings in the GO zones, and other adjustments (Secs. 7211, 7212, 7222).