BERRIEN
COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY
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January 30, 2008: Upton Praises Bu$h on Economy, Tax Cuts Bu$h's final State of the Union address received strong support from our representative, Fred Upton. Upton said he was "pleased Bu$h began his message by highlighting the economy" and he agreed with the call to make 2001 tax cuts permanent.
Mr. Upton, please note: Families earning more than $1 million a year (that's you, Mr. Upton) saw their federal tax rates drop more sharply than any group in the country as a result of Bu$h’s tax cuts, according to a Congressional study. The Congressional study offers additional insight because it incorporates information about what people paid in 2004, the first year in which taxpayers could take full advantage of the cuts on stock dividends and capital gains. Economists and tax analysts have long known that the biggest dollar value of Bu$h’s tax cuts goes to people at the very top income levels (again, that is you, Mr. Upton). One reason is that two of Bu$h's signature measures, tax cuts on investment income and a steady reduction of estate taxes, overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest households.
No wonder you "praise" the tax cuts. Fred Upton, our U.S. Representative, (called “Freddo” and “Freddy Boy” by President Bu$h) has voted with President Bu$h 82% of the time and with the GOP Party Line 88% of the time, according to the Congressional Quarterly:
-Upton voted against cracking down on the oil and gas industries price gouging. -Upton voted for the GOP energy bill that gave billions to oil, gas and nuclear industries. -Big oil and gas industries have given Upton $85,575. -Big drug interests have given Upton $281,591 over his political career (they know who their friends are). -Upton voted for the GOP Medicare Prescription Drug Bill that gives billions to businesses and the health care industry, while forcing seniors to accept annual increases in premiums and deductibles and a growing gap in coverage for the prescription drugs they buy. -Upton voted against allowing millions of Americans to save their hard-earned dollars on prescription drugs by re-importing them from Canada, even though these were U.S. made and patient safety was ensured. -Upton voted to weaken House ethics rules when DeLay proposed doing so as GOP Majority Leader. -Upton voted with Tom DeLay 84% of the time (through 3/31/2006). -1,861 water systems in 29 states have been contaminated with MTBE, exposing as many as 45 million Americans to this potential carcinogen, but Upton voted to protect the companies responsible from lawsuits by communities that need their help to clean up these systems. -Upton voted for a massive sell off of public lands to mining interests. -While tuition costs are rising for ordinary Americans, Upton voted to cut Federal student aid by $12.7 billion, the biggest such cuts in history.
The 109th Republican-controlled Congress met 97 days in 2006. That's right, Mr. Upton went to "work" 97 days last year. During the first two months of 2006, the House of Representatives spent 47 hours — that’s hours, not days — in session. They were aptly labeled as “the do-less- than-nothing Congress.” Think you could get away with that at your job? Click here to see the official Congressional calendar. The failure of the 109th Congress to pass new budgets for the current fiscal year "has produced a crisis in science financing that threatens to close major facilities, delay new projects and leave thousands of government scientists out of work, federal and private officials say." One senior official at the American Physical Society said the "consequences for American science will be disastrous."
TAXES the top 1% of Americans, including himself. And then he voted to make the tax cuts permanent. HR586 Vote#103 4/18/02
HR4520 Vote#509 10/07/04
EDUCATION S1932 #670 12/19/05
recruiters unless the student ‘opts out’ HR1 Vote#145 5/23/01
HR2746 Vote#569 11/4/97
HEALTH CARE AARP Candidate
Questionnaire, 2006 –As part of the team, Upton included in the bill that Medicare could not negotiate with drug companies for lower prices, creating the “Donut Hole” that many seniors are now approaching HR1 Vote#669 11/22/03)
-Voted against re-importation of drugs from Canada HR2427 Vote#445 7/25/03
-Upton is heavily invested in pharmaceutical companies opensecrets.org, sourcewatch.org
-After Medicare Part D was passed, Billy Tauzin, head of the committee and close ally of Mr. Upton, became head of Pharma, the drug lobby
–Does not support universal health care, rather supports tax incentives to small business to offer coverage HR660 Vote#296 6/19/03
HR2990 Vote#485 10/6/99
ENVIRONMENT remains off limits to drilling. But Big Oil wants it all and Upton voted to give it to them. HR4 Vote#317 8/1/01
HR4690 Vote#323 6/22/2000
HR4241 Vote#601 11/18/05
with MTBE, a potential carcinogen HR6 Vote#373 7/14/05
HOMELAND
SECURITY first responders the ability to communicate with each other. Congress mandated that this bandwidth be turned over to public safety in 1997. It is currently due to be turned over in 2009 (Digital TV Transition Act). HR1646, a bipartisan bill with 43 co-sponsors, called for this transition to be expedited to January 2007. Major broadcasters currently own this bandwidth and are among our Representative's major contributors. The 9/11 Commission has said this is one of the easiest and most important things that can be done to save lives in the next disaster. Lives were lost on 9/11 and during Katrina because this essential legislation was not acted upon.
–Voted yes on continuing intelligence gathering without congressional oversight HR5020, HRES774 Vote#103 4/26/06
HRES 861 Vote#288 6/12/06
HR1815 Vote#221 5/25/05
HR4939 Vote#60 3/16/06
SOCIAL SECURITY privatization of Social Security. One Internet reference noted here says he supports it and has adopted the GOP Main Street Partnership (of which he is a member) agenda which supports it. Upton's office, however, says he opposes it and sends letters to constituents stating this position.
Medicare before any surplus can be spent; meanwhile the GOP-controlled Congress removed $156 billion from our nation’s Social Security Trust fund HR 1259 Vote#163 5/26/99
would allow major telephone companies to compete with cable television companies, endangering free and open access to the Internet; instead creating a multi-tiered internet where some websites would move and load faster if they pay an additional fee to providers like Verizon and Comcast. Leading proponents of COPE are Verizon, Comcast, SBC Communications, Time Warner and ATT. The Incumbent owns major holdings in these companies and they are among his largest campaign contributors.
–Voted against the Markey Amendment to the COPE bill which would guarantee “Net Neutrality”, maintaining free and open access to the Internet HR5252 6/8/06 Roll Call 239
The above bill would have prevented broadband network owners from determining who can and who cannot offer services over broadband networks or over the Internet; or what consumers may or may not access. Do you think a church group, the local Boy Scouts organization, 4-H Clubs, etc. can afford to pay high rates like mega-corporations? The Internet currently allows all groups equal access, but Upton voted to change that.
ENERGY HR3402 Vote#500 9/28/05
HR6 Vote#630 11/18/03 –Voted No on raising fuel efficiency standards, and against incentives for alternative fuel vehicles, keep America dependant on foreign oil states HR4 Vote#311 8/1/01
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Click
here for Upton's anti-environmental record.