Since 2003, Rep. John Kline (R-MN02) has consistently scored a failing grade 'F' for voting against bills that would enrich the middle class and allow more working Americans to join their ranks. The list of programs Kline has voted against that would help the working class in his district goes on and on....from not supporting financial reforms like credit card reform, to siding with big business interests over the working class including the economic stimulus package for jobs, energy and infrastructure.
The website 'themiddleclass.org' shows the long list of Rep. John Kline (R-MN-02) voting record against the working middle class. Kline's voting records clearly shows he isn't fighting or voting for Minnesota's middle-class families. In the last year Kline voted less than 12% of the time for legislation that would help the middle class. He voted NO on legislation that was key to working Minnesotans like Wall Street Reform, Banking Reform, or the American Recovery Act.
Showing his contempt for working class families, Kline voted against Jobs for Main Street, Affordable Health care, and Unemployment Compensation, all the while voting to give more tax breaks to the wealthiest among us, and well as big Corporations. Time and time again, when faced with the choice to between leveling the economic playing field, John Kline has voted against the interests of our working middle class families.
Some recent John Kline votes:
-Rep. John Kline voted against authorizing bankruptcy courts to modify the terms of mortgages made on homeowners’ primary residences. The amendment would permit bankruptcy courts to restructure the debt on home mortgages by reducing the principal owed, extending repayment periods, reducing interest rates, and prohibiting, reducing, or delaying future interest rate increases saving countless homes for the working poor and middle class. [H.AMDT. 534 TO H.R. 4173] -Kline voted against Wall Street Accountability and Consumer Protection...sigh...naturally siding with big business and corporations. [HR 4173]
-Representative Kline voted to bailout our country’s financial sector, but later voted against a bill to strengthen oversight of these TARP funds and make more community banks eligible to receive assistance. [HR384]
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| Kline voted less than 12% for legislation that would help the middle class |
When you go to the polls this fall, remember it's not what Kline says, it's what his voting record shows. Kline's record shows a totally failed record on voting for Minnesota's working middle class families.
2 comments:
John Kline is a consistent NO vote -- meaning Neo-Con Obstructionist.
Just look at the last vote he cast ... a NO ... on H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. This legislation will help to stabilize state budgets by providing increased federal contributions to state healthcare programs. It will also prevent layoffs of more than 300,000 teachers, police and firefighters, ensuring that this short-term economic downturn does not unnecessarily impact our children's education, or public safety.
There are some key provisions to address how the money is spent. Amounts from the Education Jobs Fund may not be used for purposes such as equipment, utilities, renovation, or transportation. The bill also prohibits states from using any of these funds to add to “Rainy-Day Funds” or to pay off state debt. Simply this funds jobs serving elementary and secondary education.
In Minnesota, the alternative would be to layoff teachers, thus creating MORE strain on the unemployment system, or raise property taxes.
At a time when many parents in the Second District are concerned about classroom size, the thought of not supporting the schools is problematic. Unless you are a Neo-Con Obstructionist.
Mr. Kline addressed the House stating : I oppose this legislation. I encourage my colleagues to vote against this rule and against the underlying legislation. I give this whole effort an ‘F.’ ”
Was he against funding the teachers and public safety officials .... or was he upset with how the funding would be paid for ?
That's the problem ... a fiscally responsible member of Congress would review the the Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report. This bill reduces the deficit by almost $1.371 billion over the next 10 years.
Mr. Kline, on the other hand is a faux-fiscal conservative ... who probably did not like some aspects of how it was paid.
First, there was cuts ... rescissions from programs that no longer require funding, have sufficient funding, or have funding that probably cannot be spent before the authority to do so expires – with rescissions resulting in outlay savings of $2.8 billion.
That is probably not Mr. Kline's major concern ... afterall he's always bemoaning about "earmark" spending.
Then there is changes in advanced payments to low- and moderate-income individuals may qualify for a refundable earned income tax credit (EITC) ... Once again, that is probably not Mr. Kline's concern.
Then there is changes in the Food Stamp program ... bringing it back to levels as paid during the Bush years ... Once again, that is probably not Mr. Kline's concern.
BUT what would concern him is the closing of Loopholes that encourage Corporations to ship jobs overseas. Foreign tax credit abuse is among the IRS’s top compliance concerns for large corporate taxpayers. In 2004, U.S. multinational corporations paid an effective U.S. tax rate of just 2% on their $700 billion of foreign active earnings. The foreign tax credit is designed to prevent double taxation (i.e., full taxation by both a foreign country and by the United States) of income earned abroad. However, companies have devised schemes essentially shifting the burden of their foreign income tax onto the U.S. Federal government. These transactions enable companies to operate offshore with essentially little or no tax liability to either the U.S. or the foreign government.
THAT's what bothers Mr. Kline ... taxing corporations to pay for services to educate Middle Class children and protect our communities.
Shelley Madore, Mr. Kline's challenger in the fall election, is talking about the loss of Middle Class jobs to Overseas operations. According to the Alliance for American Manufacturing, Minnesota's Second Congressional District is ranked 22nd of the 435 Districts nationwide in terms of net job losses to China due to growing trade losses from 2001-2008 --- that's 10,900 manufacturing jobs that have been lost in this district since John Kline took office.
The recently enacted changes to the tax code will have corporations taking a different look at sending jobs overseas. Mr. Kline opposed that legislation.
Please keep informing your readers of John Kline's record ...
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