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Over the course of his career as a senator, Richard Blumenthal has voted on a variety of major issues as follows:
CIVIL LIBERTIES & CIVIL RIGHTS
YES on S Amdt 2175 – Authorizes the Use of Funds for the Transfer or Release of Guantanamo Detainees to the United States (2013) – an amendment to authorize the transfer or release of individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay to the United States.
NO on S Amdt 1274 – Authorizes Further Detention After Trial During Wartime (2011) – an amendment to authorize the further detention by the military of an individual under the “laws of war,” even if that individual has already received a trial or has been transferred for trial by an alternative court.
CONSTITUTION
NO on S J Res 10 – Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (2011) – a joint resolution to submit, to the state legislatures, a constitutional amendment that would prohibit the federal government from spending money in excess of its revenue, beginning 5 fiscal years after the ratification of the amendment.
NO on S Amdt 115 – Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment (2011) – which urged Congress to pass an amendment to the Constitution requiring a federal balanced budget.
EMPLOYMENT & WAGES
YES on S 815 – Employment Non-Discrimination Act (2013) – a bill to prohibit employment discrimination based on the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual.
YES on S 1917 – Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million (2011) – a motion to proceed with a bill designed to reduce the payroll tax rate from 4.2% to 3.1% for 2012, and to establish a 3.25% tax on income over $1 million.
NO on S 1931 – Reduces Payroll Tax Rate (2011) – a bill to extend the existing payroll tax holiday through 2012, and to extend the existing pay freeze for federal employees through 2015.
NO on S Amdt 928 – American Jobs and Economic Growth (2011) – an amendment to: (a) repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare); (b) require Congress to pass a resolution to adopt a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution; (c) establish new individual and corporate income tax rates; (d) repeal $39 billion in unspent discretionary funds; and (e) limit the authority of certain government agencies to establish certain regulations.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
NO on S 1 – Bill to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline (2015) – a vote to override President Obama’s veto of a bill that would have authorized the construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline and cross-border facilities.
NO on S 2280 – Bill to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline (2014) – a bill that sought to authorize the construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline and cross-border facilities.
NO on S Amdt 1537 – Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project (2012) – which sought to exempt the Keystone XL Pipeline project from further executive approval requirements.
GUN RIGHTS ISSUES
NO on S Amdt 2915 – the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 – which required the police chief of the District of Columbia to issue a concealed-carry firearms license to any qualified individual who completes the application process.
NO on S Amdt 719 – Authorizes Reciprocity for the Carrying of Certain Concealed Firearms (2013) – which would authorize certain individuals to carry a concealed firearm in any state wherein it was legal for residents to carry such weapons.
YES on S Amdt 711 – Prohibits the Sale of Assault Weapons (2013) – an amendment designed to prohibit the import, sale, manufacture, and possession of any “semiautomatic assault weapon,” defined as (a) any semiautomatic rifle or pistol with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds; (b) a semiautomatic pistol that can accept a detachable magazine; (c) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and (d) all types of AK, AK-47, AR, Thompson, and UZI weapons.
HEALTH CARE ISSUES
NO on S Amdt 667 – the Health Care Freedom Act of 2017 – which called for replacing Obamacare with the Health Care Freedom Act of 2017, commonly known as the “skinny repeal” option.
NO on S Amdt 271 – Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017 – which called for a repeal of existing sections of Obamacare.
NO on HR 3762 – Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act (2015) – which sought to override a veto of a bill that would have repealed certain provisions of Obamacare and to rescind public funds from abortion providers.
IMMIGRATION, NATIONALITY, & ENGLISH LANGUAGE ISSUES
NO on S 2193 – an amendment to invoke cloture on, and thus overcome a filibuster against, the Stop Illegal Reentry Act (2016) – a bill designed to increase the maximum prison term for an illegal immigrant who reenters the United States after being denied admission or deported.
NO on S 2146 – an amendment to invoke cloture on, and thus overcome a filibuster against, the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act (2015) – a bill designed to prohibit sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving federal grants and increases penalties for an illegal immigrant who reenters the United States after being deported.
NO on S Amdt 1197 – Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border (2013) – a bill prohibiting the Secretary of Homeland Security from processing applications for registered provisional immigrant status until 350 miles of southern border fencing had been erected.
TAXATION AND ECONOMIC ISSUES
NO on HR 1 – Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) – which reduced the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, and moderately reduced most individual tax brackets.
NO on S Amdt 2573 – Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012 – which sought to extend tax cuts established in 2001 and 2003 until the end of 2013.
WELFARE & ENTITLEMENTS ISSUES
NO on S Amdt 2174 – Limits Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (2012) – which called for limiting eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to households in which each member receives cash assistance under a state program.
YES on S Amdt 2392 – Reduces Funding for Food Stamps (2012) – which called for a repeal of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), authorized the Department of Agriculture to provide grants to states for supplemental nutrition assistance, and limited appropriations for the grant program to $45 billion per year.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For a more comprehensive look at Richard Blumenthal’s voting record, visit VoteSmart.org, OnTheIssues.org, and GovTrack.us.
NOTE: Voting records and legislation descriptions, courtesy of VoteSmart.org.