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The GOP House & Senate Leadership:
Their Record Speaks

The Conservative Caucus

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Check their votes, not their promises!

* Additional House & Senate Votes * How GOP Betrays Conservatives *

Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of April 30, 2003

U.S. SENATE EMBRACES ROE v. WADE

"The Senate yesterday turned back a series of challenges to a proposed ban on an especially controversial abortion procedure but voted narrowly to reaffirm its general support of the 1973 Supreme Court decision asserting a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. …"

NINE REPUBLICANS MAKE POSSIBLE PRO-ABORTION VICTORY

"The nonbinding resolution endorsing the right to abortion, approved 52 to 46, expresses the ‘sense of the Senate that the decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade was appropriate and secures an important constitutional right.’ The decision, it added, ‘should not be overturned.’ "

TEXAS GOP SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON IS PRO-ROE

"Nine Republicans [Campbell, Colo.; Chafee, R.I.; Collins, Maine; Hutchison, Tex.; Murkowski, Alaska; Snowe, Maine; Specter, Pa.; Stevens, Alaska, and Warner, Va.] joined 42 Democrats and one independent in voting for the resolution, which was sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). … Abortion rights forces picked up one vote since 1999, when the Senate last voted to endorse Roe v. Wade. The vote then was 51 to 47." Source: Helen Dewar, The Washington Post, 3/13/03, p. A9


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of December 31, 2001

BUSH GETS GOP HOUSE LEADERS TO BACK $582 MILLION UNITED NATIONS "ASSESSMENT" ON U.S. TAXPAYERS

Juliet Eilperin writes that "The House yesterday unanimously approved legislation that would provide $582 million to pay back dues to the United Nations, a reflection of how the political landscape has been altered by the terrorist attacks two weeks ago. …

"During a brief floor debate yesterday afternoon followed by a voice vote, both Republicans and Democrats said the United States cannot afford to ignore the U.N.’s needs at a time when Bush administration officials are seeking a broad international coalition to combat terrorism. White House officials have lobbied behind the scenes for the money since the attacks."

DeLAY COMPLIES WITHOUT DELAY - THE CONSTITUTION IS UNREPRESENTED IN CONGRESS

" ‘We’re not going to deny the president the flexibility he needs in conducting foreign policy,’ DeLay spokesman Jonathan Grella said.

"Although the measure does not wipe out the United States’ entire U.N. debt - the nation owes $862 million to the international body - it represents a significant step forward in what has been a contentious legislative process. …

"DeLay, who has been negotiating with White House officials for several weeks, announced two days after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that he would support the president’s U.N. request." Source: Washington Post, 9/25/01, p. A1


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of October 15, 2000

TRENT LOTT READY TO ROLL OVER FOR HUMAN STEM CELL RESEARCH

The Associated Press reports (Washington Times, 9/15/00, p. A3) that "Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican, has promised a vote within the month on legislation allowing funding for research on stem cells from discarded human embryos, said Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, chairman of the Appropriations Committee's health and human services panel.

"'I believe we have the votes,' said Sen. Tom Harkin, Iowa Democrat, who co-sponsored Mr. Specter's legislation. 'I hope we have the votes.'

"However, critics oppose the research, calling it illegal, immoral and unnecessary. ...

"Mr. Specter's legislation would let women agree to donate to federally funded researchers their embryos that were left over from in-vitro fertilization treatments."


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of June 15, 2000

GOP HOUSE SPEAKER HASTERT JOINS BILL CLINTON IN PUSHING A NEW "WAR ON POVERTY"

UPI reports (NewsMax.com, 5/23/00) that "President Clinton and House Speaker Dennis Hastert today unveiled a multibillion-dollar urban and rural reinvestment program one member of Congress called 'the most comprehensive anti-poverty program coming out of government in more than a generation.'

"The bipartisan legislation essentially doubles -- to 80 nationwide -- the number of 'empowerment zones' where the government offers financial assistance and tax incentives for businesses to invest.

"The proposal includes Clinton's proposals to expand empowerment zones from 31 to 40 and a Republican proposal to create 40 additional areas under a parallel program called 'renewal communities.' Zones are to be determined through a competitive process run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, but the legislation requires that at least 20 percent of the new communities be in rural areas."

$20 BILLION OF YOUR TAXES WILL BE USED AS POLITICAL PATRONAGE

"White House National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling said the package could cost as much as $20 billion over 10 years...."

WILL SUBSIDIES MAKE "FAITH-BASED" INSTITUTIONS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

"The bill also contains a Republican-backed plan to allow faith organizations access to federal money to operate drug-treatment programs. That program has been closely negotiated to avoid constitutional limits on federal funding of religious organizations, White House officials said. The legislation also requires faith organizations have a three-year record of success before they are eligible for federal money."


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of November 15, 1999

ONLY ONE OF 200 CLINTON JUDGES REJECTED BY GOP SENATE UNDER LOTT

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), a guest on Fox News Sunday (11/7/99), had this to say about Senate confirmation of President Clinton's appointees to the Federal judiciary:

"[T]his Congress has approved something like 300 judges -- well, since Clinton has been in office -- 300 federal judges....Two hundred, 200 have been since we've been in the majority. ...And we've only rejected one federal judge since I have been majority leader."


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of March 31, 1999

GOP SPEAKER HASTERT BECOMES LOBBYIST FOR U.N. FUNDING

When Dennis Hastert was a mere member of the U.S. House of Representatives, prior to his selection as Speaker, his one vote which distinguished him as more conservative than other top Republicans was his support for Roscoe Bartlett's motion to reject paying off the phony debt claims which the United Nations has made on the U.S. Treasury.

Unfortunately, now that Congressman Hastert is Speaker Hastert, he is walking the pro-U.N. path trod by Newt Gingrich, Trent Lott, Bob Dole, and other GOP Congressional leaders past and present.

HASTERT SAYS CLINTON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BAILOUT DELAY

As reported by Robert Novak (New York Post, 3/28/99, p. 57), "House Speaker Dennis Hastert, meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan before the air campaign against Serbia, blamed President Clinton for the U.S. failure to pay U.N. dues.

"Anan, lobbying Hastert for the delinquent payments, warned that the United States could lose its vote in the world organization. The speaker replied that the United Nations would have its money now had Clinton not opposed legislation that authorized payment of the dues but also contained anti-abortion language."


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of February 31, 1999

IF LOTT AND HASTERT TRULY BELIEVE THAT AMERICA "HAS BEEN ON THE RIGHT TRACK" HOW CAN THEY CREDIBLY PROPOSE A CHANGE OF DIRECTION?

In "An Open Letter to the American People" (USA Today, 2/23/99, p. 6A, paid for by the Republican National Committee), GOP Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and GOP Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert say that "Over the last four years, our nation has been on the right track."

TAXES UP, SPENDING UP, REGULATION UP: WAS THIS THE REAL GOP AGENDA?

If that is true, let's re-elect Bill Clinton and throw the GOP into the ash can of history where it has earned its place.

GOP CHIEFS PROPOSE $40 BILLION EXPANSION OF U.S. EDUCATION FUNDS

Reinforcing the message of that full-page ad, The Washington Times reports (2/24/99, p. 1) that "Republicans in Congress, in a role reversal, are pushing a $40 billion boost in federal education spending over the next five years while a top Senate Democrat wonders how the increase will be funded.

"Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici, New Mexico Republican, wants to increase federal spending on education by about 53 percent next year — or $8 billion each year for five years...."

WHY NOT LET THE STATES KEEP THE MONEY IN THE FIRST PLACE? BETTER YET, WHY NOT LET THE TAXPAYERS KEEP THE MONEY?

"‘I think our caucus will support that,’ said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Republican. ‘We want to get into helping the states.’"

DID KENNEDY AND GEPHARDT SUPPLY THE "WORDS AND MUSIC" FOR GOP'S APOLOGETIC "ME TOO" AGENDA

Albert Hunt sarcastically noted in The Wall Street Journal (2/25/99, p. A19) that the "full-page political ad in USA Today this week had the predictable buzz words. It's time for politicians to ‘move on’ to a real agenda that starts with ‘saving Social Security’ and ‘creating the world's best schools.’ The focus should be on helping ‘working people.’

"A message from Ted Kennedy and Dick Gephardt or the AFL/CIO? Wrong. It was an ad from the Republican National Committee signed by congressional GOP leaders Trent Lott and Dennis Hastert."

JAMES CARVILLE LIKES KINDER GENTLER GOP

"‘I finally can become a Republican,’ gloats James Carville, the quintessential yellow-dog Democrat, upon seeing the USA Today advertisement.

"This is a graphic illustration of how the GOP and the conservative movement have lost control of the political agenda and are battling on Democratic terrain. They are relegated to an echo rather than a choice, camouflaging their intentions with a coating more associated with their Democratic opposition. It has a familiar ring...."

GOP'S "BIG TENT" IS A "HOUSE DIVIDED" — EVEN ON TAXES

"[T]he Republicans are in full retreat on the 10% tax cut, which itself is a pale shadow of their earlier calls for even bigger reductions or for a flat tax or national sale tax. Along with the small band of GOP moderates, even some conservatives, like Florida Rep. Joe Scarborough, label the tax cut plan a ‘loser.’"


DENNIS HASTERT WIELDS AN UNCERTAIN TRUMPET

Representative Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was a guest on the February 21 edition of Fox News Sunday:

TONY SNOW: "The president yesterday on [his] National Radio address said, you know, ‘We need federal government money to lower student-teacher ratios, to rebuild schools, and all that stuff.’ And he said, ‘Republicans may not want to do that, but I do.’" ...

REP. DENNIS HASTERT: "We're going to move a bill in the House in the middle of March that basically says, ‘Let's have some flexibility. Let's take these federal dollars, let's put them into the local school boards and the state governors, who govern education in their state, give them the flexibility to use those dollars so that we can put the dollars in the classroom.’"

SPEAKER HASTERT FAVORS DEPT. OF EDUCATION FUNDING

TONY SNOW: "So what you're saying is more money for education, no more money for the Department of Education? ... So do you think you ought to cut off the Department of Education?"

REP. DENNIS HASTERT: "No, I'm not saying that. There's a reason. We've been through that route before." ...

HASTERT BACKS CLINTON ON KOSOVO — SORT OF

TONY SNOW: "...there's talk now of sending troops to Kosovo. ... Do you think they have a strategy for Kosovo?"

REP. DENNIS HASTERT: "Yes, I think they do."

TONY SNOW: "So you support it, you support the administration's policy?"

REP. DENNIS HASTERT: "Well, I want to see peace in that area. I think..."

TONY SNOW: "Well, is the administration going about it the right way?"

BIPARTISAN HASTERT GIVES CLINTON BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

REP. DENNIS HASTERT: "I'm not going to criticize the administration. I'm not the secretary of state. They have their plan, what they think they need to do. They have laid it out, and they need to be able to execute it, and I'm going to give them the benefit of that doubt." ...

TONY SNOW: "So are you going to be the Republican leader or the bipartisan leader?"

REP. DENNIS HASTERT: "Well, maybe Republican, because I stand for Republican values. But I think there's good ideas that come up on both sides of the aisle, and when they are good ideas and people want to support them, we ought to do it on a bipartisan basis."


LEFT-WING MEDIA AND LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAIL TRENT LOTT'S "BIPARTISAN" MANAGEMENT OF SENATE TRIAL

The Sunday Washington Post (2/21/99, p. A4) reports that "Senators of both parties say Lott performed with a high degree of dexterity, finesse and parliamentary street smarts in leading the Senate through the trial without the fractious partisanship that marked the impeachment proceedings in the House....

"‘He played a unifying, balancing civilizing role,’ said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.)."

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said "Lott ‘ran it smoothly as could be expected under the circumstances.’"

LOTT WANTS THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE CLUB TO BE IN HARMONY

"Lott consulted virtually every day with Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), strengthening their collegial but sometimes scratchy relations....

"At times, he allowed the Senate to edge toward a precipice — in which bipartisanship appeared on the verge of collapse — and then helped find the path back to safety usually with Daschle at his side...."

LOTT ENCOURAGED SLADE GORTON'S ANTI-WITNESS PLAN

"Almost entrepreneurial in style, Lott encouraged free-lance operations — such as an abbreviated trial plan floated by Lieberman and Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.). Such moves seemed at first to be chaos-in-the-making but turned out to be essential steps in an evolving process aimed at Lott's bottom line: ending the trial as soon as possible...."

THE TRAINS RAN ON TIME, BUT JUSTICE WAS NOT SERVED

"[H]e wound up on the losing side in voting to convict Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice. But he avoided an unseemly spectacle and came within minutes of meeting the deadline of high noon, Feb. 12, that he had set for a vote even before the trial started...."

DEMOCRAT DASCHLE THANKS LOTT A LOT

"‘The trial was viewed right from the start as something different: not a Republican agenda or Democratic agenda but a Senate agenda, a different role, and I believe Senator Lott recognized this,’ Daschle said in an interview after the vote. ‘We've bonded to some extent,’ he added."


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of December 31, 1998 and November 30, 1998

SPEAKER-DESIGNATE DENNIS HASTERT HAS A VOTING RECORD ON MOST ISSUES WITH WHICH THE BIPARTISAN WASHINGTON ESTABLISHMENT IS COMFORTABLE

Forget their rhetoric and their platforms –– their recorded roll call votes show where the GOP leadership really stands

U.S. House of Representatives
1997-1998 Roll Call Votes

Dennis
HASTERT

Bob
Livingston

Dick
Armey

Tom
DeLay

J.C.
Watts

Deborah
Pryce

Tillie
Fowler

Tom
Davis

Chris
Cox

SHALL EPA GET $7.4 BILLION?
Roll Call #505, approved 405-21, 10/8/97

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

SHALL $12.8 BILLION FOREIGN AID BE APPROVED, INCLUDING $385 MILLION TO PRO-ABORTION GROUPS?
Roll Call #631, approved 333-76, 11/12/97

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

did not vote

YES

YES

YES

SHALL "AFRICAN NAFTA" BE CREATED?
Roll Call #47, approved 233-186, 3/11/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

SHALL RED CHINA GET MOST-FAVORED-NATION STATUS?
Roll Call #317, approved 264-166, 7/22/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

SHALL U.S. PAY $475 MILLION U.N. "PHONY DEBT"?
Roll Call #392, approved 279-151, 8/5/98

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

SHALL $1.9 BILLION MORE BE SPENT TO KEEP U.S. TROOPS IN BOSNIA?
Roll Call #458, approved 373-50, 9/24/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

did not  vote

YES

YES

YES

SHALL CONGRESS GIVE CLINTON "FAST-TRACK" TRADE AUTHORITY?
Roll Call #466, defeated 180-243, 9/25/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

did not vote

did not vote

YES

YES

SHALL CLINTON-LOTT-GINGRICH BUDGET BE APPROVED?
Roll Call #538, approved 333-95, 10/20/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

did not vote

YES

YES

YES

RETROACTIVE ENDORSEMENT OF CLINTON'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL ATTACK ON IRAQ?
Roll Call #539, approved 417-5, 12/17/98

YES . . . . . . . .

GOP-designated Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), former Speaker-elect Bob Livingston (R-La.), Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-Tex.), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts (R-Okla.), Republican Conference Secretary Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), Republican Conference Vice Chairman Tillie Fowler (R-Fla.), National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.), Republican Policy Committee Chairman Christopher Cox (R-Calif.).


Excerpted from Howard Phillips Issues & Strategy Bulletin of December 15, 1998

RECORDED ROLL CALL VOTES REVEAL BELIEFS OF SENATE GOP LEADERS

United States Senate
1997-1998 Roll Call Votes

Trent
LOTT

Don
NICKLES

Connie
MACK

Larry
CRAIG

Mitch
McCONNELL

SHALL CHEMICAL WEAPONS TREATY BE RATIFIED?
Roll Call #51, approved 74-26, 4/24/97

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

SHALL RED CHINA GET U.S. SUPERCOMPUTER TECHNOLOGY?
Roll Call #166, approved 72-27, 7/10/97

NO

YES

NO

YES

YES

SHALL $13.2 BILLION FOREIGN AID PACKAGE, INCLUDING $3.5 BILLION FOR EX-IM BANK, BE APPROVED?
Roll Call #185, approved 91-8, 7/17/97

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

SHALL CLINTON-LOTT-GINGRICH FY 1998 BUDGET BE APPROVED?
Roll Call #209, approved 85-15, 7/31/97

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

SHALL FEDERAL EDUCATION STANDARDS BE ESTABLISHED?
Roll Call #234, approved 87-13, 9/11/97

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

SHALL NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS BE DEFUNDED?
Roll Call #241, defeated 23-77, 9/17/97

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

SHALL CONGRESS GIVE CLINTON "FAST-TRACK" TRADE AUTHORITY?
Roll Call #294, approved 68-31, 11/5/97

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

SHALL U.S. PAY $819 MILLION U.N. "PHONY DEBT" INCLUDING $25 MILLION TO U.N. POPULATION FUND?
Roll Call #105, approved 51-49, 4/28/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

SHALL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTE "SCHOOL-TO-WORK" SCHEME?
Roll Call #119, approved 91-7, 5/5/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

SHALL IMF GET $17.9 BILLION ADDITIONAL TAX DOLLARS?
Roll Call #259, approved 90-3, 9/2/98

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

SHALL CLINTON-LOTT-GINGRICH FY 1999 BUDGET BE APPROVED?
Roll Call #314, approved 65-29, 10/21/98

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Asst. Majority Leader Don Nickles (R-Okla.), Republican Conference Chairman Connie Mack (R-Fla.), Republican Policy Committee Chairman Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).


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