November 13, 1997
The Republican record of achievement during the first session of the 105th Congress is an impressive one. Despite the frequent opposition of the Clinton Administration and Capitol Hill Democrats, the GOP Congress has piled up a list of accomplishments that have started to move America in the direction of lower taxes, less regulation, restoration of traditional values, and greater opportunity. [For details, see A Dictionary of the Senate's Major Accomplishments: 105th Congress, First Session.]
However, a review of these accomplishments does not fully convey a sense of the struggle which Republicans had to wage during 1997. During the first session of the 105th Congress, Democrats threw up roadblock after obfuscation after delaying tactic in an effort to maintain the discredited tax-and-spend policies of 1993 and 1994, the era of complete Democratic dominance. The nature of that struggle is illustrated below in a selection of "wedge votes" -- votes in which the large majority of each party (for the purposes of this paper, 75 percent or more) voted on opposite sides of an issue. These are arranged by issue, with a brief explanation, percentage of each party voting for or against the issue, and identification by date and record vote number. (The statement of the issue below is designed to clarify the substance of the vote, not whether the procedural context was affirmative or negative, or whether the vote was on the substance or on a tabling motion.)
Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment
A number of votes were taken on a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. The vote on final passage is given first, followed by the substance of a number of votes on "killer" amendments leading up to that vote.
Final Passage. Final passage on an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require a balanced budget except in case of national emergency.
March 4, 1997, Vote No. 24 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 76 percent Economic Waiver. To create a major "loophole" in the balanced budget amendment, by waiving the peacetime requirement of a balanced budget and limits on deficit spending and tax increases if Congress declares there is a recession or a serious economic emergency.
February 10, 1997, Vote No. 7 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 78 percent National Security Waiver. To create a major "loophole" in the balanced budget amendment, by waiving the peacetime requirement of a balanced budget and limits on deficit spending and tax increases if a resolution is enacted that states that the United States faces "an imminent and serious military threat."
February 12, 1997, Vote No. 10 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 80 percent "Off-Budget" Social Security. To create a major "loophole" in the balanced budget amendment, by exempting Social Security from the calculation of receipts and outlays (i.e., take Social Security "off-budget"), which would help neither the Social Security system nor the Federal Budget.
February 25, 1997, Vote No. 14 Republicans Against : 96 percent Democrats For : 95 percent Capital and Other Deficit Spending. To create a major "loophole" in the balanced budget amendment, by waiving the peacetime requirement of a balanced budget and limits on deficit spending and tax increases for a number of reasons relating to the economy and national security, and to allow for unlimited deficit spending through "off-budget" capital budgeting -- in effect, to allow deficit spending simply to be reclassified as nondeficit.
February 26, 1997, Vote No. 16 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 82 percent Social Security Exemption. To create a major "loophole" in the balanced budget amendment, by exempting Social Security from the calculation of receipts and outlays (i.e., a Social Security "exemption"), which would help neither the Social Security system nor the Federal Budget.
February 26, 1997, Vote No. 17 Republicans Against : 96 percent Democrats For : 87 percent Deficit Spending for Disaster/Emergency. To create a major "loophole" in the balanced budget amendment, by waiving the peacetime requirement of a balanced budget and limits on deficit spending and tax increases if the President declares (and the Congress agrees) that "a major disaster or emergency exists."
February 26, 1997, Vote No. 18 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 89 percent Spending of Prior Year Surpluses. As part of a balanced budget amendment, to allow deficit spending in a fiscal year if offset by prior year surpluses, which undermines the purpose of the balanced budget amendment.
February 27, 1997, Vote No. 22 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 89 percent Statutory Substitute. To overturn constitutional authority for requiring a balanced budget amendment, by referring the amendment to the Budget Committee with instructions to report it as an amendment to the Budget Act instead of a constitutional amendment.
February 27, 1997, Vote No. 23 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 76 percent Traditional Values
A number of votes focused on issues of interest to America's families and the preservation of traditional values.
Restrictions on Foreign Aid to Promote Abortion. To provide U.S. tax dollars to private international organizations that perform abortions or promote abortion.
February 25, 1997, Vote No. 13 Republicans Against : 80 percent Democrats For : 95 percent Threaten First Amendment Free Speech. To amend the Constitution of the United States to allow Congress and the States to limit contributions and expenditures in support of or opposition to political candidates.
March 18, 1997, Vote No. 31 Republicans Against : 93 percent Democrats For : 76 percent Threaten First Amendment Free Speech. To force the Senate to neglect pressing business (specifically, federal highway programs) to consider legislation to limit contributions and expenditures in support of or opposition to political candidates.
October 23, 1997, Vote No. 275 Republicans Against : 87 percent Democrats For : 100 percent October 23, 1997, Vote No. 277 Republicans Against : 87 percent Democrats For : 100 percent October 24, 1997, Vote No. 278 Republicans Against : 88 percent Democrats For : 100 percent October 28, 1997, Vote No. 282 Republicans Against : 95 percent Democrats For : 100 percent Partial-Birth Abortion. To amend legislation banning a particularly heinous abortion procedure with a "health exception" that would allow the procedure to be used at the abortionist's discretion.
May 15, 1997, Vote No. 70 Republicans Against : 96 percent Democrats For : 76 percent Family-Friendly Workplace. To allow private sector employers and wage earners a choice of three voluntary flexible work arrangements: compensatory time off in lieu of monetary overtime pay; biweekly work schedules; and a flexible credit-hour program.
May 15, 1997, Vote No. 68 Republicans For : 96 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent June 4, 1997, Vote No. 93 Republicans For : 94 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent June 4, 1997, Vote No. 94 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent Public Funding for Minors' Abortions. To prohibit use of federal funds for minors' abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or saving the life of the mother.
June 25, 1997, Vote No. 129 Republicans For : 91 percent Democrats Against : 76 percent Abortions at Department of Defense Facilities. As part of the Defense Authorization bill, to require that U.S. military facilities overseas provide elective abortion services for military personnel and dependents.
July 10, 1997, Vote No. 167 Republicans Against : 87 percent Democrats For : 93 percent Federal Employee Abortion Fringe Benefit. As part of the Treasury appropriations bill, to prohibit funds to pay for abortions as a fringe benefit under Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) insurance plans except in cases of rape, incest, or saving the life of the mother.
July 22, 1997, Vote No. 190 Republicans For : 87 percent Democrats Against : 86 percent Low-Income School Choice. As part of the D.C. appropriations bill, to create a test program providing approximately 2,000 opportunity scholarships allowing children of economically disadvantaged parents to attend public or private schools of their choice.
September 30, 1997, Vote No. 260 Republicans For : 98 percent Democrats Against : 91 percent Balanced Budget Resolution
Final bipartisan passage of the Balanced Budget Resolution reflected an agreement between the Republican Congress and the President to ensure a balanced budget by the year 2002 and a middle class tax cut. However, final approval was reached only after several Democrat attempts to weaken its provisions by adding new taxes and spending programs:
More Welfare Spending. As part of the Balanced Budget Resolution, to increase discretionary spending by $15.8 billion over five years, primarily on welfare programs, and increase taxes by a commensurate amount.
May 20, 1997, Vote No. 72 Republicans Against : 95 percent Democrats For : 80 percent Additional $30 Billion in Taxes to Finance Children's Health Programs. As part of the Balanced Budget Resolution, to decrease a tax cut by $30 billion while increasing spending $20 billion above agreed levels to pay for a new grant program for children's health coverage, with the remaining $10 billion ostensibly for deficit reduction.
May 21, 1997, Vote No. 76 Republicans Against : 85 percent Democrats For : 82 percent Additional $5 Billion Tax Hike to Finance School Construction. As part of the Balanced Budget Resolution, to increase taxes by $5 billion for federal government financing of building and repair of public schools.
May 21, 1997, Vote No. 79 Republicans Against : 95 percent Democrats For : 91 percent Point of Order Against Deficits After 2002. As part of the Balanced Budget Resolution, to make it out of order in the Senate to consider any budget resolution for fiscal year 2002 or thereafter that would cause a budget deficit, except in time of war.
May 22, 1997, Vote No. 85 Republicans For : 76 percent Democrats Against : 87 percent Extra Funds for Tax and Deficit Cuts Only. As part of the Balanced Budget Resolution, to express the sense of the Senate that any revenues collected in excess of the amounts estimated in the resolution should be used only for deficit reduction and tax relief, not additional spending.
May 23, 1997, Vote No. 88 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 98 percent Use of Federal Funds to Escape Dangerous Schools. As part of the Balanced Budget Resolution, to give local school districts access to federal funds to permit children who have been victims of violent crime to transfer to another, safer school.
May 23, 1997, Vote No. 89 Republicans For : 93 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent Balanced Budget Act
The Balanced Budget Act will make net mandatory spending reductions to achieve savings necessary for a balanced budget by 2002, and to provide middle class tax relief for the American people. The Act was passed with bipartisan support after votes on a number of amendments in which Democrats tried to weaken tax relief provisions or increase spending.
Work Requirements/Vocational Education Training. As part of the Balanced Budget Act, to allow vocational educational training to be counted as a "work activity" for an individual who needs to be working to qualify for cash welfare benefits.
June 25, 1997, Vote No. 119 Republicans Against : 82 percent Democrats For : 100 percent Right to Pay Doctors with Non-Medicare Funds. As part of the Balanced Budget Act, to permit persons who are eligible for Medicare to continue seeing a physician who does not accept Medicare and pay with non-Medicare funds.
June 25, 1997, Vote No. 120 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 80 percent New Medicaid Rate Mandate. As part of the Balanced Budget Act, to replace a burdensome and vague federal mandate on States with regard to Medicaid reimbursement rates with a public review and comment process.
June 25, 1997, Vote No. 125 Republicans For : 95 percent Democrats Against : 82 percent Guaranteed vs. Direct Student Loans. As part of the Balanced Budget Act, to lower the federal guarantee for private student loans, which would cripple the guaranteed student loans (which constitute some 60 percent of the student loan volume) and force students to rely on "direct" (i.e., government) loans.
June 25, 1997, Vote No. 126 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 96 percent Children's Health Care "Special Needs" Federal Mandate. As part of the Balanced Budget Act, to remove State flexibility in health care coverage for uninsured children by mandating coverage of specified "special needs," thus increasing costs and reducing the number of children who could be covered.
June 25, 1997, Vote No. 128 Republicans Against : 95 percent Democrats For : 89 percent Taxpayer Relief Act
The Taxpayer Relief Act provides cradle-to-grave tax relief for American taxpayers, and does so within the context of a balanced budget by the year 2002. It is the largest tax cut since 1981 and the first tax cut since 1986. It achieved final passage with bipartisan support after consideration of numerous Democrat high-tax amendments.
Capital-Gains and IRA Tax Cut Sunsets. As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to ensure that tax reductions on Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and capital gains are permanent tax relief, not just temporary.
June 26, 1997, Vote No. 133 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 76 percent Reduced and Delayed Tax Cuts. As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to replace the Act as reported with a bill that would reduce tax relief by 20 percent, delay almost all tax relief until the next century, and give "tax cuts" to people who don't pay taxes.
June 26, 1997, Vote No. 134 Republicans Against : 100 percent Democrats For : 84 percent Asset Sales (ANWR). As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to change budget scoring on amounts realized from the sale or lease of certain federal lands in order to block availability of domestic energy resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
June 27, 1997, Vote No. 143 Republicans Against : 89 percent Democrats For : 93 percent No Tax Hikes for New Entitlements. As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to establish a point of order to prevent tax increases from being used to pay for new spending programs.
June 27, 1997, Vote No. 144 Republicans For : 76 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent Excess Mandatory Spending. As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to enforce statutorily established caps on entitlement programs by requiring a three-fifths majority for excess spending.
June 27, 1997, Vote No. 145 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 96 percent No Post-2002 Deficits. As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to create a Budget Act point of order against a legislative measure that would cause a deficit in fiscal year 2002 or thereafter.
June 27, 1997, Vote No. 146 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 91 percent Excess Revenue for Deficit and Tax Cuts. As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to require that any excess revenues be used to reduce the deficit or to provide tax relief, not to increase spending.
June 27, 1997, Vote No. 147 Republicans For : 96 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent Education IRAs for Elementary and Secondary Education. As part of the Taxpayer Relief Act, to allow education individual retirement accounts (IRAs) to be used for elementary and secondary education expenses, not just for college.
June 27, 1997, Vote No. 150 Republicans For : 93 percent Democrats Against : 82 percent National Security
A number of votes related to Republican efforts to maintain a sound national defense.
Chemical and Biological Weapons. Final passage of a federal law (as opposed to an international convention) to ban the making or use of chemical or biological weapons, with domestic enforcement provisions consistent with the U.S. Constitution.
April 17 , 1997, Vote No. 45 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 98 percent Excluding Inspectors from Rogue Nations. As part of the Senate's consideration of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to reject inspectors from countries that support international terrorism or are involved in nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons proliferation.
April 24, 1997, Vote No. 49 Republicans For : 80 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent Declassification of Aggregate Intelligence Spending. To require the President, as part of his annual budget submission, to make public the aggregate total of classified spending.
June 19, 1997, Vote No. 108 Republicans Against : 98 percent Democrats For : 95 percent Space-Based Laser Missile Defense. As part of the Defense Authorization bill, to continue development of space-based laser technology, one of the most promising programs for defending the American people from missile attack.
July 11, 1997, Vote No. 171 Republicans For : 96 percent Democrats Against : 93 percent Miscellaneous
Government Shut-Down Prevention. To include an automatic continuing resolution in a supplemental appropriations bill in order to prevent a future government shutdown.
May 8, 1997, Vote No. 61 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent Public Lands Rights-of-Way. To give the Federal Government greater regulatory power (at the expense of existing state regulations) over rights-of-way across federal lands.
May 7, 1997, Vote No. 59 Republicans Against : 87 percent Democrats For : 93 percent Judicial Appropriation of Federal Funds to Pay for Corrupt Union Elections. As part of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, to prohibit additional federal funds to be used to supervise elections for the Teamsters union; $22 million of previous funds mandated by a federal judge were spent on an election later proved to have been corrupt.
September 4 , 1997, Vote No. 217 Republicans For : 98 percent Democrats Against : 93 percent September 11, 1997, Vote No. 233 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 93 percent Regulatory Relief for Elementary and Secondary Schools. As part of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, to block grant most federal funding to support education from kindergarten through twelfth grade, giving school districts, not federal bureaucrats, wider discretion in administering programs.
September 11, 1997, Vote No. 232 Republicans For : 93 percent Democrats Against : 100 percent Forest Service Timber Restrictions. As part of the Interior appropriations bill, to reduce logging on public lands, in a manner which would increase costs to taxpayers, increase consumer costs for lumber, and eliminate thousands of jobs.
September 17, 1997, Vote No. 242 Republicans Against : 84 percent Democrats For : 89 percent Approval of Medical Devices. As part of the Food and Drug Administration modernization bill, to establish a streamlined standard for approval of new uses for medical devices already
proved safe and effective, to reduce costs to consumers and time for approval.
September 23, 1997, Vote No. 254 Republicans For : 100 percent Democrats Against : 78 percent TOP