Richard Burr’s greatest, um, “hits”

We’re about to get bombarded with propaganda telling us what a great conservative Richard Burr IS, and how scary Deborah Ross IS.  (For the record, we agree wholeheartedly with that second part.) 

Conservative Review has done a great job of cataloging Richard Burr’s highs and lows over the last six years. He’s pulling down an ungentlemanly conservative score of F (44%) which beats out ONLY Thom Tillis (36% and F) and our three token Democrats in the North Carolina delegation.

Let’s take a closer look:

2011: 

This bill increased the nation’s debt limit by $2.4 trillion, the largest increase in the history of the United States. In exchange for an immediate debt limit increase, the bill “promised” discretionary cuts in the future. Future increased spending is assured with an immediate increase but “promised” cuts will be almost assuredly be overturned. We already saw this promise broken when Congress voted to overturn spending cuts in December of 2013 with the passage of the Ryan-Murray Budget Deal. This debt limit increased passed in the Senate on August 2, 2011 by a roll call vote of 74-26.

TO BLOCK PROTECTING FIREARMS RECORDS FROM ABUSE

Vote Result Date: 5/26/2011

Conservative Position: No

Burr Vote: Yes

This amendment proposed protecting firearm records requests from being abused by the PATRIOT Act. Pro-Second Amendment organizations, like the Gun Owners of America, are concerned that an anti-gun administration could take advantage of current procedures to go on a phishing expedition of records for law-abiding gun owners who successfully passed a background check. Senate Democrats moved to table this amendment to block it from receiving a vote on May 26, 2011 in a roll call vote of 85-10.

This resolution allowed for the Senate rules allowing for the reading of legislation on the Senate floor, to be waived. Resolutions like this are designed to reduce the amount of transparency during the legislative process and ultimately give the American public less time to weigh in with Senators on proposed legislation. The Senate agreed to pass this resolution on January 27, 2011 by a roll call vote of 85-15.

2012:

The Fiscal Cliff tax increase raises taxes on individuals with incomes of over $400,000, raises payroll taxes on 77% of Americans, while extending corporate welfare tax breaks for special interests. Raising taxes will hurt economic growth and fuel out-of-control government spending. The Senate passed this bill on January 1, 2013 by a roll call vote of 89-8.

This amendment proposed re-affirming the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution that protects Americans from unreasonable searches and seizure. Additionally, it would extend Fourth Amendment guarantees to electronic communications and requires specific warrants granted from specialized intelligence courts in order to obtain this information. The Senate rejected this amendment on December 27, 2013 by a roll call vote of 12-79.

Reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) would expand the bank’s lending authority by an additional 40%, a total of $140 billion. Ex-Im is the poster child for corporate welfare. Additionally the bank distorts the free market with taxpayer-backed subsidies pitting one section of the U.S. economy against the other. The Senate passed this bill on May 15, 2012 by a roll call vote of 78-20.

2013:

 

• TO CONFIRM JEH JOHNSON AS SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

  Vote Result Date: 12/16/2013

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  Conservatives raised concerns that Jeh Johnson lacked the experience and knowledge to adequately secure the borders. These concerns were validated in the summer of 2014 wave of illegal immigration after Mr. Johnson’s confirmation. Throughout the confirmation process, Mr. Johnson dodged questions on immigration policy. The Senate confirmed Johnson’s nomination on December 16, 2013 by a roll call vote of 78-16.

• ALLOW FOR SENATE PROCEDURE TO FUND OBAMACARE

  

  Vote Result Date: 9/27/2013

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This procedural vote was on whether or not to advance a government funding bill to a post-cloture process granting Harry Reid the ability to easily re-instate Obamacare funding. Senators supporting defunding Obamacare would oppose senate procedures that would allow its funding to be re-instated. The motion ultimately passed in the Senate on September 27, 2013 by a roll call vote of 79-19.

 

• PROCEED TO AMNESTY BILL

  Vote Result Date: 6/11/2013

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This vote allowed for the Gang of 8 Amnesty bill to be brought to the Senate floor for consideration. It was clear to conservatives early on in the committee process that the fix was in for this legislation and any attempt to improve the bill or strike amnesty was voted down as a part of the Gang of 8 deal. Voting to bring the amnesty bill to the floor only empowered Harry Reid to play “let’s make a deal” to provide kickbacks to Senators for their vote. This type of floor procedure was out of the Obamacare playbook and amnesty should be opposed at every step possible. This vote passed 85-14.

• INTERNET SALES TAX

  Vote Result Date: 5/6/2013

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  The Marketplace Fairness Act/Internet Sales Tax would overturn a 1992 Supreme Court decision and would allow for States to impose on out of state businesses the requirement of collecting a new sales tax. If signed into law, businesses would potentially have to comply with approximately 10,000 different tax jurisdictions. Supporters of this legislation are supporting new taxes. The Senate passed a version of this legislation on May 6, 2013 by a roll call vote of 69-27.

• ADVANCE GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION CLOSER TO PASSAGE

  Vote Result Date: 4/11/2013

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This procedural vote advanced Harry Reid’s gun control proposals. The proposed legislation can ultimately only be enforced with a gun registry and the advanced legislation is a massive stepping-stone to a gun registry. The Constitution states that the Second Amendment “shall not be infringed.” Voting to advance this legislation put the Second Amendment in jeopardy. The Senate passed this motion on April 11, 2013 by a roll call vote of 68-31.

• REDUCE FOREIGN AID TO HOSTILE COUNTRIES

  Vote Result Date: 3/23/2013

  • Conservative Position: Yes
  • Burr Vote: No

  This amendment proposed reducing U.S. foreign aid to hostile countries and redirecting these funds back for domestic use. The United States spends billions on foreign aid to countries that may not have our best interest at heart. The Senate ultimately rejected this amendment on March 23, 2013 by a roll call vote of 26-72.

• BALANCE BUDGET IN 5 YEARS

  Vote Result Date: 3/23/2013

  • Conservative Position: Yes
  • Burr Vote: No

  This amendment to the Senate’s proposed budget proposed balancing the budget in 5 years by returning spending to FY 2008 levels, block grant numerous welfare programs and eliminate four Departments that are not within the scope of the federal government’s responsibility: Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Education, and Energy. The Senate rejected this amendment on March 22, 2013 by a roll call vote of 18-81.

• “VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT”

  Vote Result Date: 2/12/2013

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  The original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 made domestic violence a federal crime, in addition to a state or local crime. Reauthorizing VAWA allows for “emotional distress” to be classified as domestic violence. While conservatives abhor domestic violence and advocate for the rule of law, the lack of authority for this legislation in the Constitution gives conservatives pause. Conservatives have argued that State and local governments are better equipped to stop domestic violence than the federal government. The Senate passed this bill on February 12, 2013 by a roll call vote of 78-22.

 

2014:

 

• ADVANCE $1.1 TRILLION SPENDING BILL THAT FUNDS EXECUTIVE AMNESTY

  Vote Result Date: 12/14/2014

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  The 1700+ page, $1.1 trillion Omnibus spending bill granted President Obama full funding for 11 of 12 federal departments for the remainder of the fiscal year – without any congressional restrictions on his unilateral action on amnesty, Obamacare, and environmental regulations. Worse, the bill actually provided Obama with an additional $2.5 billion in funds to facilitate his executive amnesty. Most egregiously, this 1700-page bill was crafted as a backroom deal by lame duck senators who were rejected by the American public in the November election.

• STOP GOVERNMENT LAND GRAB

  Vote Result Date: 12/12/2014

  • Conservative Position: Yes
  • Burr Vote: No

  The government currently controls 640 million acres of land, 1 out of every 3 acres. Senator Coburn offered a motion to strip a provision expanding existing national parks, creating 8 new parks, designating 245,000 acres as federal wilderness, and removing another 299,000 acres from natural resource production. Conservatives should be fighting to stop the growth of federal land and returning large swaths of federal land to states and private owners, not adding to the size of the federal government.

• EXTEND EX-IM AND SET UP LAME DUCK

  Vote Result Date: 9/18/2014

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This spending bill was filled with problematic provisions such as arming “friendly” rebels in Syria, extending the corrupt Export-Import Bank, and sets up a post-November election lame-duck session of Congress. The main conservative concern with a lame duck is the potential for a massive omnibus spending bill and the potential for an unaccountable Congress to pass an Internet sales tax. This bill passed the Senate 78-22 and was signed into law by the President.

• VOTE TO WAIVE BUDGET DISCIPLINE FOR MILLER-SANDERS VETERANS DEAL

  Vote Result Date: 8/1/2014

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (HR 3230) increases overall spending by $15 billion over the 10 year budget window. Members who voted against waiving this budget point of order voted for fiscal responsibility and a sustainable VA system. This vote unfortunately failed on July 31, 2014 in a roll call vote of 86-8.

• TO CONTINUE FLOOD INSURANCE SUBSIDIES

  Vote Result Date: 1/30/2014

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This bill canceled out Flood Insurance reforms designed to make the program sustainable. Currently, taxpayers around the country subsidize flood insurance premiums in flood prone areas. Cancelling or delaying Flood Insurance reforms bankrupt the program requiring another taxpayer bailout. The bill ultimately passed on January 30, 2014 in a roll call vote of 67-32.

  2015:

 

• TO ADVANCE A $1.1 TRILLION BUDGET BUSTING SPENDING BILL

  Vote Result Date: 12/18/2015

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This 2,009 page omnibus bill contained a whopping $1.1 trillion for funding the entire government for the remainder of fiscal year 2016, or $547 million per page. Taken in totality, this bill gave away the final opportunity for Republicans to wield the power of the purse over a number of lawless or harmful executive policies for the rest of the Obama administration. The tactics and processes used by Speaker Ryan to advance this bill were identical to ones used by Speaker Boehner, and ultimately resulted in the GOP Congress losing all leverage over an out of control executive branch. As the omnibus fully funded Obama’s amnesty programs and even added close to $300 million in funding for economic and cultural development in some of the very Latin American countries violating our sovereignty. While the bill contained no positive immigration riders to prevent Obama from bringing in Syrian refugees and other security risks, it contained a harmful provision quadrupling the H2-b visa program for next year, further burdening American workers and taxpayers with more low skilled workers from impoverished countries. In addition, this bill stripped out every rider halting Obama’s environmental agenda. Finally it increased spending by $53 billion relative to the previous year.

• EXPAND FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION

  Vote Result Date: 12/9/2015

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This vote was to reauthorize No Child Left Behind through 2020. No Child Left Behind represented an unprecedented expansion by the federal government into education. Overall this reauthorization legislation is a missed opportunity for a Republican controlled congress to empower parents and put children first. Education is an issue that is near and dear to families and represents and opportunity for Republicans to lay down a bold contrast of family first policies. Conservatives believe education decisions should be made by state and local officials, yet this bill retains the fundamental mandate requiring states to concoct uniform standards in reading and math that would be applied statewide throughout all jurisdictions. The bill keeps the plethora of federal testing requirements that have been the driving force behind the adoption of Common Core. Likewise, it does nothing to address the duplicate and wasteful programs funded by the Department of Education, but in reality actually expands education control into preschool programs. Instead of renewing the 2001 law with minor changes, conservatives should be implementing sweeping reforms that allow states to drive innovation in their own school districts.

• 1,300 PAGE $305 BILLION HIGHWAY BAILOUT BILL

  Vote Result Date: 12/4/2015

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This 1,300 page bill was introduced, “debated”, and voted on within 72 hours, making it virtually impossible that any member of Congress actually read it. It is accurate to assume that Congress is blindly spending $305 billion with little knowledge of its implications. Additionally this bill bails out the Highway Trust Fund to the tune of $70 billion. While the Republican controlled Congress makes the argument the bill is paid for, that is fraudulent claim as the payfors are budget gimmicks designed to hide the true cost of the bill. Besides continuing Congress’ reckless spending spree the bill, also renews the once shuttered crony capitalist Export Import Bank.

 

• OBAMATRADE — FAST TRACK AUTHORITY FOR TPP

  Vote Result Date: 6/23/2015

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This vote was to advance the procedural provision known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). TPA grants a special fast-track status to trade deals negotiated by the president and as such has been dubbed Obamatrade. While conservatives generally support trade agreements as important tools for lowering tariffs and trade barriers, and TPA is often needed in order to effectively negotiate with other countries, this particular TPA was problematic for a number of reasons. Typically, a TPA is passed at the beginning of negotiation cycles so that Congress directs the president to negotiate along specific parameters. In this case, the three primary treaties that would receive fast-track status under this TPA have already been negotiated in secret for years. There is no reason to pass fast track authority without releasing more details about these trade agreements to the public. Moreover, given this president’s penchant for implementing major policies without Congress, there was a widespread fear that Obama would use these trade agreements to pursue liberal policies, such as changes to our immigration system, labor laws, and global warming regulations. For example, according to WikiLeaks, one of the impending trade deals – the Trade in Service Agreement (TISA) – contains an entire immigration section, including a provision prohibiting US authorities from conducting in-person interviews for certain visa categories. Additionally, the main trade deal – the Trans Pacific Partnership – contains a “living agreement” provision, which could enable Obama to expand the scope of the agreement during the final months of his presidency or add countries like China to the agreement. Finally, GOP Leadership negotiated a deal to advance Trade Promotion Authority and in exchange for Democrat votes, promised to renew the crony capitalist Export-Import Bank and a failed government handout program known as Trade Adjustment Assistance, a subsidy bailout for labor unions.

• SUPPORT LORETTA LYNCH NOMINATION

  Vote Result Date: 4/23/2015

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This vote supported the nomination of Loretta Lynch as Attorney General by advancing her nomination to final passage. While presidents are generally afforded the courtesy of nominating those who share their political views, their political appointees must uphold the rule of law. Lynch was chosen at a time when Obama announced an unconstitutional executive amnesty for illegal immigrants. During the confirmation hearings, Lynch, who will become the chief law enforcement officer, agreed with Obama’s decision to thwart the constitutional separation of powers and to not enforce immigration law. Lynch also expressed the extreme view that everyone has the “right and obligation” to a job in the United States regardless of being an illegal immigrant.

• $500 BILLION HEALTHCARE BILL

  Vote Result Date: 4/15/2015

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This vote was on H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act which is expected to increase the nation’s debt by $500 billion over the next 20 years. This bill was cobbled together in a backroom deal by Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi. Overall H.R. 2 is a massive health care spending bill that replaces the existing Medicare payment system for health care providers, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), with a new bureaucratic pay scheme that would automatically increase reimbursements every year. Although everyone agrees that the SGR was a flawed system, this bill merely replaced one top-down bureaucratic price-control system with a new one, albeit with a more generous reimbursement rate and no way to pay for the increased spending. With this bill Congress failed to address the underlying problems in healthcare entitlements and in true back room deal fashion, included several extraneous provisions designed to buy votes.

  2016: 

• SUPPORT OBAMA’S WAR ON SUBURBS

  Vote Result Date: 5/19/2016

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This vote was a procedural vote to kill an amendment offered by Senator Lee that would have defunded implementation of a Department of Housing and Urban Development rule that basically federalizes zoning laws and encourages the forced economic diversification of neighborhoods. Rhetorically speaking this rule is a war on the suburbs as it uses the power of federal government to centrally plan out neighborhoods. The rule is a massive power grab by progressive bureaucrats to allow them to conduct large scale social experiments with real neighborhoods by forcing the collection of data that will be used to evaluate whether communities meet Washington guidelines and quotas on race, economic, and other factors. The result will undermine local representation and push localities into more regional government structures that ultimately answer to Washington D.C.

• INCREASE TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES FOR “GREEN ENERGY” HOME LOANS

  Vote Result Date: 4/19/2016

  • Conservative Position: No
  • Burr Vote: Yes

  This amendment, sponsored by Senator Isakson, would increase taxpayer subsidies from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for homes classified as “green energy” efficient. Proponents of the amendment argue that homes that meet the “green energy” standard will save those owners money on utility bills, and as such, those cost savings should be counted as increased income for loan applicants. Thus, the amendment would incentivize homebuyers to purchase “green energy” homes and further distort the housing market. The practical effect of this social engineering policy is that loan applicants will take out bigger loans than they may be able to afford and artificially inflate home prices, as well as increase the amount of risk that taxpayers are exposed to by funding these loans. It was these same sort of policies that led to the housing collapse of 2008.