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1 Center for American Progress |  The Top 12 House Votes Against the Middle Class

 The Top 12 House Votes

Against the Middle ClassConservative Leaders Put the 1 Percent

Before the 99 Percent Time and Again

February 2012

Introduction

 A deailed examinaion o he voes cas in he House o Represenaives during he rs

session o he 112h Congress reveals ha he conservaive leadership o he cham-

 ber and heir backbench ea Pary rebrands voed 279 imes agains he ineress o 

 American middle-class amilies. We can’ lis all 279 o he voes, bu we composed a lis

 below o he mos egregious ones.

Tese voes are emblemaic o he scan concerns conservaives in he House have or

our embatled middle class. Unorunaely or hem he public is beginning o noice.

Te American people have begun o express increased dissaisacion wih House

Republicans. Here’s why.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act

Vote

Repeal of the Affordable Care Act (H.R. 2): House Voe 14. Adoped 245–189:

Republicans 242–0; Democras 3–189 on January 19, 2011

Purpose

Tis bill called or repealing he Aordable Care Ac, which ensures ha 32 million

people will gain insurance coverage, addresses rising healh care coss, and includes

imporan consumer proecions agains discriminaory insurance pracices such as

denying coverage o hose wih pre-exising condiions or charging higher raes based

on a paien’s sex, race, or age. Te proposed House bill would resore he provisions o 

he law amended or repealed by he Aordable Care Ac and repeals cerain provisions

o he healh care reconciliaion law wihou oering an alernaive o help he middle

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class cope wih ever-rising healh care coss. (see he Cener or American Progress

analysis on he consequences o repealing he Aordable Care Ac) Te Democraic

Senae has vowed o proec he Aordable Care Ac.

Vote

Repeal of Essential Health Care Benefits Section of the Affordable Care Act (H.R. 1

Amendment 430): House Voe 141. Adoped 239–183: Republicans 235–2; Democras4–181 on February 19, 2011

Purpose

Tis amendmen would have barred unds made available in he Aordable Care Ac

rom being used by he deparmens o Healh and Human Services, Labor, or reasury 

or issuing regulaions or guidelines dening “essenial benes” as direced by he

 Aordable Care Ac. According o he law, all healh plans oered in individual and

small-group markes, including Medicaid sae plans, mus include iems and services

 wihin a leas 10 caegories—known as essenial healh benes—by 2014.

Te caegories are: ambulaory paien services; emergency services; hospializa-

ion; maerniy and newborn care; menal healh and subsance use disorder services,

including behavioral healh reamen; prescripion drugs; rehabiliaive and habiliaive

services and devices; laboraory services; prevenive and wellness services, and chronic

disease managemen; and pediaric services, including oral and vision care.

I repealed, middle-class amilies in need o aordable insurance coverage would once

again be a he mercy o insurance companies, which could srucure bene plans o

atrac only he healhies paiens—leaving hose who need medical coverage wihou

necessary insurance.

Gutting Medicare and Medicaid

Vote

Adoption of the Ryan Budget (House Concurrent Resolution 34): House Voe 277.

 Adoped 235–193: Republicans 235–4; Democras 0–189 on April 15, 2011

Purpose

Te budge proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) would have convered Medicaid ino

a block-gran program run by individual saes and would have urned Medicare ino a

“premium suppor sysem” or hose younger han 55—boh moves ha would sharply 

raise healh care coss or middle-class amilies. (see he Cener or American Progress

analysis on he Ryan Budge) Te legislaion also called or consolidaing he curren six 

ax brackes o bene he wealhy a he expense o he middle class.

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 According o he nonparisan Congressional Budge Oce , he Ryan voucher plan

or Medicare would orce a ypical 65-year-old o pay 68 percen o his or her oal

cos o coverage, including premiums, deducibles, and oher ou-o-pocke coss.

(see he Cener or American Progress analysis on proposals o urn Medicare ino a

premium suppor sysem)

Similarly, he Ryan plan or Medicaid would have drasic consequences. According ohe CBO, “saes would ace signican challenges in achieving sucien cos savings

hrough eciencies o miigae he loss o ederal unding.” Indeed, he CBO said ha

“o mainain curren service levels in he Medicaid program, saes would probably need

o consider addiional changes, such as reducing heir spending on oher programs or

raising addiional revenues. Alernaively, saes could reduce he size o heir Medicaid

programs by cuting paymen raes or docors, hospials, or nursing homes; reducing

he scope o benes covered; or limiing eligibiliy.”

House Republicans considered all o hese changes so ha conservaives in Congress

could cu corporae axes and lower he op individual ax rae o 25 percen rom hecurren 35 percen level or he wealhies Americans. Te ax cus or he wealhy were

so large ha even wih he massive spending cus in he Ryan budge, i would almos

cerainly have caused axes o go up on he middle class o make he numbers add up.

(see he Cener or American Progress analysis o he Ryan Budge) Tis voe was

soundly deeaed in he Democraic Senae.

Scrapping consumer product safety

VoteFiscal 2011 Continuing Appropriations, Consumer Product Safety Database (H.R. 1):

House Voe 137. Adoped in Commitee o he W hole: 234–187, Republicans 227–10;

Democras 7–177 on February 19, 2011

Purpose

Tis amendmen would have barred he use o unds made available o implemen

he consumer produc saey inormaion daabase esablished under he Consumer

Produc Saey Ac. In March 2011 he Consumer Produc Saey Commission esab-

lished he SaerProducs.gov daabase o provide all Americans wih saey inormaion

on producs hey have bough or will consider buying. Rachel Weinraub, direcor o 

produc saey or he Consumer Federaion o America, argued Republicans were “ry-

ing o pull he plug on a vial consumer resource.”

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Abandoning homeowners

Vote

HAMP Termination (H.R. 839): House Voe 198. Adoped 252–170: Republicans 234–2;

Democras 18–168 on March 29, 2011

Purpose

Tis bill would erminae he reasury Deparmen’s auhoriy o provide new assisance

under he Home Aordable Modicaion Program, which provides nancial incenives

o morgage servicing companies o suppor reducions in borrowers’ monhly pay-

mens. Tis bill harms he several hundred housand Americans sill reeling rom he

housing marke collapse. Many morgage companies and banks sold risky morgages o

homeowners. By canceling his program here would ineviably be more oreclosures,

given he ragile sae o he naion’s housing marke. (see he Cener or American

Progress repor on ways he adminisraion can build o he HAMP program)

Fouling our air and drinking water

Vote

EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulation (H.R. 910): House Voe 249. Adoped 255–172:

Republicans 236–0; Democras 19–172 on April 7, 2011

Purpose

Tis bill would prohibi he Environmenal Proecion Agency, or EPA, rom regulaing

greenhouse gases in any eor o address climae change. I would amend he Clean Air

 Ac o srike specic elemens rom he deniion o an “air polluan” unless regulaiono hose chemicals is no used in an atemp o address climae change. I also would

clariy ha he bill does no limi he auhoriy o a sae o regulae he emission o a

greenhouse gas unless he regulaion atemps o address climae change. Tis bill would

harm all Americans. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and nirous oxide are

emited rom power plans, indusrial aciliies, and oher sources, and released ino he

amosphere. As hese gases linger in he amosphere, hey rap hea radiaing back rom

Earh, and he surace emperaure o our plane rises. Te rise in emperaure causes ris-

ing sea levels, increased rainall, oods, drough, wildres, and severe sorms, which no

only harm our environmen bu also hur our economy. (see he Cener or American

Progress analysis as o why he EPA mus be allowed o regulae greenhouse gases)

Vote

Commercial Boiler Emissions (H.R. 2250): House Voe 791. Adoped 275–142:

Republicans 234–0; Democras 41–142 on Ocober 13, 2011

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Purpose

Te bill would nulliy cerain EPA emissions sandards or commercial and indusrial

 boilers and oher relaed equipmen. I would require he agency o repropose and

nalize he rules 15 monhs aer he bill’s enacmen and would require he EPA o

allow aeced plans a leas ve years o comply aer he regulaions become eecive.

Tis bill essenially pus he ineress o polluers over ha o he healh and saey o 

 American amilies. I creaes enormous uncerainy and goes ar beyond providing heEPA wih exra ime o nalize heir rulemaking. More roubling, his bill would delay 

and could subsanially weaken long-overdue public healh proecions by allowing he

coninued emissions o carcinogens and oher oxic air polluans ha can cause devel-

opmenal harm and oher serious healh eecs. (see he Cener or American Progress

repor on how clean energy invesmens can creae jobs and proec he environmen)

Vote

Water Pollution Regulatory Authority—Passage (H.R. 2018): House Voe 573. Adoped

239–184: Republicans 223–13; Democras 16–171 on July 13, 2011

Purpose

Tis bill would prohibi EPA rom issuing a new or revised waer-qualiy sandard when

a sae sandard has been approved by he agency, unless he sae agrees ha a new 

or revised sandard is necessary o mee Clean Waer Ac requiremens. I also would

prohibi EPA rom wihdrawing approval o a sae program or issuing waer-qualiy 

permis or limiing ederal nancial assisance i EPA disagrees wih sae waer-qualiy 

sandards or he implemenaion o ederal guidance. I would allow saes o assume

and adminiser pars o a waer-permiting program, raher han all or none o i. Tis

 bill would do grea harm o all Americans i ever enaced. According o he EPA  , his bill

 would undamenally aler he curren ederal/sae relaionship oulined in he Clean Waer Ac and would hinder he ederal governmen’s abiliy o ensure here is an equi-

able level o proecion provided o our naion’s waers. Worse ye, he bill hinders ed-

eral and sae governmen eors o use greaer scienic inormaion on he impac o 

polluion o human healh and he environmen. (see he Cener or American Progress

repor on why invesmens in waer inrasrucure are needed now more han ever)

Guaranteeing more job losses

Vote

Cut, Cap, and Balance—Passage (H.R. 2560): House Voe 606. Adoped 234–190:

Republicans 229–9; Democras 5–181 on July 19, 2011

Purpose

Tis bill made an increase in he ederal deb limi coningen upon he passage o a bal-

anced-budge consiuional amendmen. I also would se scal year 2012 discreion-

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ary spending a a dangerously low level. Te bill, i enaced, would drasically undercu

he ederal governmen’s abiliy o mee is core commimens o seniors, middle-class

amilies, and he mos vulnerable. According o an analysis by he Cener on Budge

and Policy Prioriies, he “Cu, Cap, and Balance Ac” would require cus oaling $111

 billion immediaely, despie a persisenly high unemploymen rae. According o he

analysis, cus a ha level equal roughly 0.7 percen o he projeced GDP or scal year

2012. A cu ha size could cause he loss o roughly 700,000 jobs, relaive o wha henumber o jobs oherwise would be. (see he Cener or American Progress repor on

he conservaive plan o cap spending)

Encouraging financial fraud

Vote

Consumer Financial Proecion Bureau Overhaul—Passage (H.R. 1315): House Voe

621. Adoped 241–173: Republicans 231–1; Democras 10–172 on July 21, 2011

Purpose

Passage o he bill would replace he Consumer Financial Proecion Bureau’s direcor

 wih a ve-member commission. I also would lower he voe hreshold required or

he Financial Sabiliy Oversigh Council o override Consumer Financial Proecion

Bureau rules rom wo-hirds o a simple majoriy and would allow he council o

override regulaions ha hreaen he sabiliy o individual insiuions. According o

Financial Services Commitee Democras:

Te Consumer Financial Proecion Bureau (CFPB) is a very imporan par o he

Wall Sree Reorm and Consumer Proecion Ac, as he ile o he bill makes clear.

Unil passage o ha Ac, consumer proecion in nancial maters was in he hands

o regulaors who consisenly reaed consumer proecion as a second class concern.

Creaing an independen bureau was inended o ensure ha consumer ineress are

 ully considered on he meris and no relegaed o an aferhough. H.R . 1315 would

reverse his by resoring he prudenial regulaors’ auhoriy over consumer proecion

by providing ha he Financial Sabiliy Oversigh Council (FSOC) could overrule,

by majoriy voe, a CFPB regulaion on any policy ground i deems appropriae. Tis

would ake away he very independence o he CFPB ha he law inended o esablish.

(see he Cener or American Progress repor on why he appoinmen o he CFPB

direcor was crucial)

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Destroying labor unions

Vote

National Labor Relations Board Powers (H.R. 2587): House Voe 711. Adoped 238–

186: Republicans 230–7; Democras 8–179 on Sepember 15, 2011

Purpose

Tis bill would preven he Naional Labor Relaions Board rom ordering a company o

reinsae producion or make cerain invesmens a a given locaion. Te bill also would

prohibi he board rom blocking a rm’s decision o relocae and would apply he pro-

hibiions o all complains ha have no received nal adjudicaion by he ime he bill is

enaced. Tis bill would harm America’s middle class. According o House Democras ,

he bill would be “devasaing o workers across his counry. I will make i easier o ship

 jobs overseas, provide employers wih a loophole or ring workers who ry o organize

a union, make runaway shops legal or all inens and purposes, and creae a new race o

he botom or American workers’ righs, wages, benes and working condiions.” (see

he Cener or American Progress repor on why unions make he middle class)

Endangering infants

Vote

Cement Plant Emissions, Brain Development Impact (.H.R 2681): House Voe 747.

Rejeced in Commitee o he Whole 166–246: Republicans 6–234; Democras 160–12

on Ocober 5, 2011

Purpose Amendmen 11 called on he EPA o delay implemenaion o curren proposed cemen

plan emissions sandards, i such emissions harm brain developmen or cause learn-

ing disabiliies in inans or children. House Republicans placed appeasing heir base

above proecing he healh and saey o children. According o one press repor , “[]

he cemen rules would require more han 90 percen reducions in mercury and oher

harmul emissions. Mercury can impair he brain developmen o euses and young

children. Te EPA esimaes i would cos he indusry nearly $1 billion o clean up he

air polluion bu says he new sandards could save up o 2,500 lives and aver housands

o ashma atacks when implemened in 2013.” (see he Cener or American Progress

analysis o he rue cos o he GOP’s aniregulaory agenda)

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Cutting benefits for out-of-work Americans

Vote

GOP Payroll Tax/Unemployment Insurance Extensions Package (H.R. 3630): House Voe

923 , Passed 234–193: Republicans 224–14; Democras 10–179 on December 13, 2011

Purpose

Tis bill would have exended jobless benes or some o he unemployed while reduc-

ing he maximum number o weeks o benes ha a worker could receive unemploy-

men insurance. Under he GOP’s bill , saes would have required individuals seeking

 jobless benes o be drug esed and would have required mos people receiving

 benes o be searching or work and pursuing educaion credenials i hey did no have

a high school diploma. I also called or blocking cerain air polluion rules or indusrial

 boilers and incineraors; reezing he pay o many ederal employees hrough 2013;

increasing Medicare premiums or afuen beneciaries; and eliminaing more han $20

 billion o spending planned under he Aordable Care Ac.

Tis bill would be devasaing o working amilies all across he counry. Many laid-o 

 Americans would risk slipping ino povery because o he resricions on unemploymen

insurance benes in his bill. Te bill also reezes he pay o ederal employees, blocks

imporan EPA regulaions, and reduces spending on he Aordable Care Ac. (see he

Cener or American Progresssae-by-sae analysis o he impac o he payroll ax cu)

Conclusion

Te House record is clear. From voing o pu insurance companies above amilies oguting clean air and waer rules, he curren majoriy has proven who hey work or.

Forunaely or America’s middle-class amilies, none o hese proposals will even be

signed ino law.

Te American public is losing aih in he House leadership. I’s clear why.

(Te Source or he voes was Congressional Quarerly and he Library o Congress)