That's about one vote a day. Actually the Senate has this quaint custom of requiring two votes on every issue. First they vote to take a vote, and then they vote on the issue. So less business than you might think got transacted. So what did our democratic senator vote for?
Top vote getter, with 55 voters, was nominations. Judges mostly but some administration appointees like Janet Yellen for the Federal Reserve chairman. The rest of 'em were just middle weight judges for all over the country. The constitution does require the "advise and consent" of the Senate for judicial appointments, but I never expected anything like that number of judges.
Next , there are the 9 votes cast to extend unemployment benefits beyond two years. Used to be, un employment only lasted a few weeks to tide you over til you found a new job. Now it runs for two years, and Jeanne voted 9 times to make it even longer.
Then there a 8 votes for the "doc fix". Some years ago, Congress voted a sizable cut in medicaid/medicare rates. The doctors all screamed. Rather than repeal the cuts for good, Congress votes a postponement of them, every year. Nothing is ever really final in Washington.
Then we come to 8 votes for mystery bills. The website said "No short title submitted for this bill". So it could be anything. The Senate should never pass a mystery bill. If we don't even have a title, it could be anything, and is probably harmful. Jeanne voted for these concealed time bombs 8 times.
And now we get to flood insurance. Private companies refuse to write flood insurance because it's a loser. Everyone knows which land will get flooded and which won't. Homeowners liable to getting flooded buy flood insurance. Homeowners on higher ground don't. All flood insurance policies have to pay off after the flood happens. In response to the cries of owners of waterfront property, and realtors, and mortgage lenders, Congess passed a federal flood insurance plan years ago. You can buy flood insurance from the feds, the premiums aren't cheap, but the coverage is first rate. And Uncle Sam looses barrels of money after every flood. It got so bad, that the Biggert-Waters reform act was passed in 2012 to try and limit taxpayer losses.Since nothing is ever final in Washington, the flood insurance lobby keeps bringing up bills to repeal Biggert-Waters. Jeanne Shaheen voted for Biggert- Water repeal 4 times.
And we have 4 votes in favor of assorted waivers to Obamacare. Three votes in favor of reforms that are supposed to do something about sexual assault in the armed forces. 2 votes in favor of the farm bill, and a single vote each for Ukraine aid, raise the federal debt limit, and to kill parts of the Budget Control Act.
So. We have 55 votes for democratic judge nominees, 27 votes that give taxpayer money away, 8 mystery votes, 6 miscellaneous votes.
Scott Brown is looking better and better,
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