Advertisement

Will Congress Help Homebuyers?

My Elected Officials

Find and contact your federal, state, and local officials.

Enter ZIP Code

Take Action Now

  1. Find your official
  2. Sign up for newsletters
  3. See other activists
  4. Find organizations
  5. Create a Soapbox Alert
  6. Send a hand-delivered letter to Congress
  7. Read Letters to Leaders

The Mission Ahead

Roll Call's online forum where political, economic, academic and corporate leaders weigh in on the biggest challenges facing Congress.

Social Networking Community

 Congress.org

 Roll Call

 Roll Call

News

Currently In Congress
Talk Back to Congress

Three provisions of the PATRIOT Act are sceduled to expire at the end of the year. President Barack Obama wants Congress to renew them.

Some Democrats, led by Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, want to use the renewal as an opportunity to make broader changes in the law because they think it gives the government too much power to snoop.

Proponents of the PATRIOT Act, including many Republicans and the head of the FBI, say the law gives law enforcement much-needed flexibility to track terrorist activity in the U.S.

Tell your lawmakers what you think.

Key Votes

View the Most Recent Key House and Senate Votes
Confirm Labor Solicitor
-- Vote No. 18 voted on 02/04/2010. Chamber: S.

By 60 yeas 37 nays, M. Patricia Smith, of New York, to be Solicitor for the Department of Labor.
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act
-- Vote No. 48 voted on 02/04/2010. Chamber: H.

Raise the federal debt limit to $13.029 trillion and enact pay-as-you-go budget enforcement rules aimed at cutting the government’s deficit.

Raise the debt ceiling
-- Vote No. 14 voted on 01/28/2010. Chamber: S.

To raise the debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion to $14.294 trillion.
Reinstate PAYGO rules
-- Vote No. 13 voted on 01/28/2010. Chamber: S.

Reinstate rules requiring tax increases or spending cuts in any bills that increase entitlement spending or cut taxes.
Confirming Bernanke
-- Vote No. 16 voted on 01/28/2010. Chamber: S.

On the nomination of Ben Bernanke to be chairman of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve system for a second term.
Thune Amdt. No. 3301; To terminate authority un...
-- Vote No. 2 voted on 01/21/2010. Chamber: S.

By 53 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. 2) Thune Amendment No. 3301 (to Amendment No. 3299), to terminate authority under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to ach...
H.R. 4314; A bill to permit continued financing...
-- Vote No. 397 voted on 12/24/2009. Chamber: S.

By 60 yeas to 39 nays (Vote No. 397), Senate passed H.R. 4314, to permit continued financing of Government operations, clearing the measure for the President.
H.R. 3590 as Amended; Patient Protection and Af...
-- Vote No. 396 voted on 12/24/2009. Chamber: S.

The Senate voted 60-39 on a party-line vote to pass the health care overhaul bill that must now be married with the version passed by the House in the fall.
End debate on health care bill
-- Vote No. 385 voted on 12/21/2009. Chamber: S.

Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ...
-- Vote No. 968 voted on 12/11/2009. Chamber: H.

The House passed H.R. 4173, to provide for financial regulatory reform, to protect consumers and investors, to enhance Federal understanding of insurance issues, and to regulate the over-the-counter derivatives markets, by a recorded vote of ...
Permanent Estate Tax Relief
-- Vote No. 929 voted on 12/03/2009. Chamber: H.

The House passed H.R. 4154, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the new carryover basis rules in order to prevent tax increases and the imposition of compliance burdens on many more estates than would benefit from repeal and ...
S. 1963; Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health...
-- Vote No. 352 voted on 11/19/2009. Chamber: S.

By unanimous vote of 98 yeas (Vote No. 352), Senate passed S. 1963, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans, to improve the provision of health care to veterans.
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appr...
-- Vote No. 348 voted on 11/17/2009. Chamber: S.

By unanimous vote of 100 yeas, Senate passed H.R. 3082, making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, as amended.
Stupak amendment
-- Vote No. 884 voted on 11/08/2009. Chamber: H.

An amendment to restrict abortion coverage in insurance plans subsidized by the government in the health care overhaul.
Health care overhaul
-- Vote No. 887 voted on 11/07/2009. Chamber: H.

The House passed H.R. 3962, to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, by a recorded vote of 220 ayes to 215 noes, Roll No. 887.
Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2918
-- Vote No. 302 voted on 09/30/2009. Chamber: S.

By 62 yeas to 38 nays, Senate agreed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 2918, making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010.
Transportation spending bill
-- Vote No. 287 voted on 09/17/2009. Chamber: S.

Transportation spending bill passed the Senate by a vote of 73 to 25. The bill includes funding for Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010.

To view the rest of the votes, click here

Legislation

View the Most Recent Bill
Democracy Restoration Act of 2009
-- S.1516 created on 02/09/2010

Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility. Provides for enforcement and remedi...

Democracy Restoration Act of 2009
-- H.R.3335 created on 02/09/2010

Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility. Provides for enforcement and remedi...

Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell
-- H.R.1283 created on 02/01/2010

Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009 - Repeals current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces. Prohibits the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, from discriminating on the basis of sexua...

Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009
-- H.R.4061 created on 02/01/2010

Directs specified federal agencies participating in the National High-Performance Computing Program to: (1) transmit to Congress a cybersecurity strategic research and development plan and triennial updates; and (2) develop and annually update an implementation roadmap for such plan. Provides for the award of computer and network security...

Increase debt limit
-- H.J.RES.45 created on 01/25/2010

Increases the statutory limit on the public debt from $12.104 trillion to $13.029 trillion.

National and commercial space programs
-- H.R.3237 created on 01/11/2010

11/2/2009--Reported to House without amendment. (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Enacts title 51 of the United States Code into positive law to be entitled "National and Commercial Space Programs." Makes conforming changes to existing la...

Government Accountability Office Improvement Ac...
-- H.R.2646 created on 01/11/2010

6/2/2009--Introduced. Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Comptroller General to: (1) obtain federal agency records required to discharge his or her duties, including through bringing civil actions under this Act; and (2) make and retain copies of agency records and interview federal agency officers and...

Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ...
-- H.R.4173 created on 12/07/2009

To provide for financial regulatory reform, to protect consumers and investors, to enhance Federal understanding of insurance issues, to regulate the over-the-counter derivatives markets, and for other purposes.

Permanent Estate Tax Relief
-- H.R.4154 created on 12/01/2009

Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009 - Repeals provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) eliminating the tax on estates and generation-skipping transfers and the step-up in basis provisions for property acquired from a decedent for estates of decedents...

Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services ...
-- S.1963 created on 11/11/2009

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans, to improve the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes.

Affordable Health Care for America Act
-- H.R.3962 created on 11/02/2009

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

To view more bills, click here

 

Advocacy Network

Calls to Action from Groups & Organizations
View more calls to action.
About these alerts...

Stay Informed

Sign Up for Our Newsletters

  • Vote Monitor Go

    Get Your Representatives' Votes sent to you by email weekly.

  • Congress.org Newsletter Go

    Get the Congress.org spotlight news sent to you by email weekly.

Advertisement

Soapbox

Issues raised by the people. Take action now!

View more Soapbox alerts.

Hand Delivered Letters to Leaders

Read letters hand delivered to members of Congress written by people like you.

Write your own letter and have it hand delivered.

Read More Letters

Advertisement

Advertisement

 
 
About Us   Careers   Contact Us   Frequently Asked Questions   Privacy Policy   Terms of use
To update or correct any information on this site please contact our Research Department