Max Baucus

This bill eliminates the spending reductions agreed to in the sequester, more than doubles the airline ticket tax and uses budget gimmicks to claim savings in future years for spending increases now. ACU opposes tax-and-spend budgets at a time when our national debt is over $17 trillion and opposed this bill and the motion to limit debate (cloture) on the bill. The Senate passed a cloture motion on December 17, 2013, by a vote of 67-33.

The Ayotte amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would have removed provisions that weaken the national security standards required to move terrorists being held at Guantanamo. ACU supports those national security provisions and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on November 19, 2013, by a vote of 43-55.

This bill would prohibit hiring decisions based on "gender identity" with narrow-based exemptions for religiously-based organizations as defined by the federal government. Under the bill, employers can be liable for legal action based on vaguely defined actions that "adversely affect the status of an employee or applicant." ACU opposes laws that can be used to suppress the freedom of religion, speech and association and opposed limiting debate (cloture) on this bill. The Senate passed the cloture motion on November 7, 2013, by a vote of 64-34.

The Senate confirmed the nomination of Gina McCarthy as Director of the Environmental Protection Agency. As Assistant Director for Air and Radiation, McCarthy was a key architect of the Obama Administration's draconian regulatory policy that has cost jobs and banned construction of coal-fired plants. After her confirmation, McCarthy's top policy advisor was charged with taking $900,000 in pay and benefits illegally. ACU opposed limiting debate (cloture) on her nomination but the Senate passed a cloture motion on July 18, 2013, by a vote of 69-31.

The Senate confirmed the nomination of Thomas Perez as Secretary of Labor. As Chief of the Department of Justice Civil Rights division he had used his political power to advance his own agenda. An Inspector General's report cited him for overruling career staff recommendations when he tried to stop purging ineligible voters off the rolls and attacked South Carolina's voter ID law. ACU opposed limiting debate (cloture) on his nomination but the Senate passed a cloture motion on July 17, 2013, by a vote of 60-40.

The Senate confirmed the nomination of Richard Cordray as Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Cordray had been given a recess appointment as director at a time when the Senate was not in recess. The agency was created by the Dodd-Frank banking overhaul bill that prohibited congressional oversight of the agency and Senate Republicans had pledged not to confirm a director until reforms were made. ACU opposed limiting debate (cloture) on the nomination but the Senate passed a cloture motion on July 16, 2013, by a vote of 71-29.

This bill replaces the direct payment system to farmers with an equally or more expensive increase in the crop insurance subsidy program. The bill also includes the greatly expanded food stamp program with no reforms. ACU has long opposed these Depression-era subsidy programs and opposes combining food stamps with agricultural policy and so opposed this bill. The bill passed the Senate on June 6, 2013, by a vote of 76-22.

The Durbin amendment to the Farm Bill limits agricultural subsidies to people or corporations with an income of $750,000 per year or less. The limits would go into effect after a study of its effects is complete. ACU supports means testing these entitlement programs and supported this amendment. The Senate passed the amendment on May 23, 2013, by a vote of 59-33.

The Inhofe amendment to the Farm Bill would have replaced the current food stamp program with a program of block grants to the states and would have added work requirements and drug testing for eligibility. ACU supports reform of a food stamp program that has greatly expanded in the past five years and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on May 22, 2013 by a vote of 36-60.

This bill, although eliminating earmarks and streamlining some environmental reviews, continues to spend billions of dollars on projects that have nothing to do with infrastructure and funds projects that should be handled at the state and local level. The bill also prohibits Congress from considering any bill that lowers the funding level from the previous year, locking in spending increases. ACU opposes these bills that go well beyond basic infrastructure needs and opposed this bill. The bill passed the Senate on May 15, 2013, by a vote of 83-14.

The Whitehouse amendment to the Water Resources Development Act creates a new bureaucracy, the National Endowment for the Oceans that would award $100 million in grants to study the oceans and Great Lakes. ACU opposes this expansion of government that duplicates other private and government programs and opposed this amendment. The Senate passed the amendment on May 8, 2013, by a vote of 67-32.

The Coburn amendment to the Water Resources Development Act would have required the Corps of Engineers to follow state firearm possession laws on lands managed by them to conform to practices followed by the National Park Service and other agencies. ACU supports expanding Second Amendment rights on federal lands and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on May 8, 2013, by a vote of 56-43. (60 votes were required for passage.)

The Feinstein amendment to the Safe Communities Act would have revived the 1990s era "assault" weapons ban that was allowed to expire. ACU opposed the original ban that banned ill-defined "assault" weapons that did nothing to reduce gun violence and opposed this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on April 18, 2013, by a vote of 40-60.

The Manchin amendment to the Safe Communities Act would add federal government regulations to private sales through the Internet and at gun shows, among other restrictions. ACU opposes restricting Second Amendment rights and opposed this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on April 17, 2013, by a vote of 54-46 (60 votes were required for passage).

This bill raised numerous taxes to help pay for a budget that increased spending by $90 billion over agreed upon spending limits. ACU opposes tax and spend legislation and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 23, 2013, by a vote of 50-49.

The Paul amendment to the budget bill would have provided increased funding for Interstate bridge infrastructure projects by reducing funding for foreign aid and the Energy Department loan guarantee programs that led to the Solyndra scandal. ACU supports infrastructure spending through reductions in less important government programs and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on March 23, 2013, by a vote of 26-72.

The Inhofe amendment to the budget bill would have prohibited EPA from promulgating further greenhouse gas regulations to supposedly fight global warming. ACU opposes these regulations that cost jobs and increase energy costs for all Americans and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on March 22, 2013, by a vote of 47-52.

The Scott amendment to the budget bill would have prohibited the federal government from automatically deducting union dues from federal employee paychecks. ACU supports the voluntary payment of union dues and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on March 22, 2013, by a vote of 43-56.

The Paul amendment to the budget bill would have replaced a budget that raises taxes to increase spending with a bill that balances the budget in four years, returns discretionary spending to 2008 levels, replaces welfare programs with block grants to the states, reforms entitlement programs and eliminates capital gains as well as estate and gift taxes. ACU supports these broad government reforms and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on March 22, 2013, by a vote of 18-81.

The Thune amendment to the budget bill would have called for the repeal of the federal estate tax, or death tax. ACU has long advocated repeal of this unfair tax and supported this amendment. The Senate defeated the amendment on March 22, 2013, by a vote of 46-53.