07 May 2010

Voting Record (2009 - Every Senator & Representative) On Issues Affecting Seniors

New Alliance for Retired Americans Voting Record
Focuses on Health Care, Medicare, and Economics
 
On Tuesday, May 4th, the Alliance for Retired Americans marked Older Americans Month by releasing its latest voting record, a new report detailing the 2009 votes of every U.S. Senator and Representative on key issues affecting current and future retirees.  The document is available at CLICK HERE.   Once you are at the site you will see two "keys" explaining what the grading means, then click on your state to see how your state's senators and representatives voted on the issues most important to older people.

 “Higher scores show a commitment to improve health care, strengthen Medicare, and put seniors ahead of drug and insurance companies,” said Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling.  “The 2009 voting record showed a continuation of support for seniors in America, despite a tough economy,” she added.  The voting record examines 10 key Senate votes and 10 key House votes, showing the roll calls on issues such as helping pre-Medicare retirees afford health care, as well as Medicare-covered preventive screenings for seniors.  Several votes addressed national spending on health care, including historic votes on epic health insurance reform.

One hundred eighty-three U.S. House members achieved perfect scores of 100% in 2009.  One hundred and eighty-five received failing grades (60% or lower), with 16 receiving scores of zero.  Of the House members appointed to the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in 2010, Reps. John Spratt (D-SC) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) scored 100% with the Alliance; Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) scored 90%; Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) scored 10%, and Reps. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) scored 0% (Hensarling represents Texas Congressional District 5, is said to have senatorial aspirations, was a protege' of Phil Gramm who was the architect of the deregulation behind much of the Wall Street melt-down).  The panel is considering major changes that would affect the financial future of Social Security and Medicare.

Fifteen members of the U.S. Senate achieved perfect scores of 100% in 2009, while 43 received failing grades of 60 percent or lower.  Both Senators from Minnesota, AmyKlobuchar (D) and Al Franken (D), received perfect scores in 2009.  The same was true for both of the Vermont Senators, Patrick Leahy (D) and Bernie Sanders (I).  However, all of the Senators from the states of Georgia, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming scored zero.   Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) has the lowest current lifetime Senate score with the Alliance, 1%.

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