28 Senate Democrats vote with Republicans to cut Food Stamps.

[still_one]

http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/telliottmbamsc/blog/2013/06/28-senate-democrats-vote-republicans-cut-food-stamps


The Cancerous Senators from the DEMOCRATIC party are: Sens. Baucus, Bennet, Cardin, Carper, Coons, Donnelly, Durbin, Feinstein, Franken, Hagan, Harkin, Heinrich, Heitkamp, Johnson, Kaine, Klobuchar, Landrieu, Manchin, McCaskill, Mikulski, Nelson, Pryor, Rockefeller, Shaheen, Stabenow, Tester, Mark Udall and Warner.

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Senator Pryor Jr. rarely fails to disappoint me

I wish his father were still Senator-- I doubt Pryor Sr. would have cast such a vote.

[msongs]

2. our president will veto this bill then....right? oh nt

[woo me with science]

49. PRESIDENT OBAMA AND DEMOCRATS WILL STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.

They are just a little bit clever about what "right" means...

[HiPointDem]

3. wow. feinstein, franken, rockefeller, udall, mikulski? is there more to this story?

[silverweb]

12. I think there's probably much more.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]The truth will come out.

[Berlum]

23. et tu, Tester?

nt

[DevonRex]

69. I expected Bennett but with Udall there must be more to it. nt

[littlewolf]

4. feinstein and durbin voted for this??? WTF

I am not surprised that Hagan voted for this ... she is trying very hard
to be a Republican as her seat is in danger.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

28. WTF? no surprise there. we're talking DF.

[Drale]

51. Its got to be tagged on to something else thats inportant

like the "Monsanto Protection Act" was.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. FUCKING FEINSTEIN!

I swear to god she's turned into a Republican. I SO wanted her to not to run again in 2012. I guess the MIC gravy train was just too tempting not to ride one more time. I truly, truly hate this woman.

[SoapBox]

7. Ditto

We did NOT vote for her...we've been over her for many years.

[diane in sf]

10. Haven't voted for her in the last two elections, she should just retire with her MIC $$$

[ReRe]

13. K&R ^^^^^^^

[davidpdx]

20. Yep, and she opposed the filibuster reform as well

California needs to get rid of both of them (either that or they need to go run for Senate in Montana).

[Le Taz Hot]

27. I still like Boxer.

I want to hang on to her but Feinstein -- ARRRRGGHHHHH! And like the posters above, I've not voted for her for the last 2 elections and I used to be HUGE supporter -- worked on her campaigns, etc. Fuck. Her. We need Kamala Harris in her place.

[davidpdx]

35. Harris would be a great Senator

I hope she runs.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. WHAT?!?!?!? Both my senators (Cardin and Mikulski) voted for this shit?!?!?!?!?

I will call their offices tomorrow! SHAME!!!

There has to be more going on in this bill. Cardin is one of the most liberal senators in the Senate.

[hootinholler]

45. I'm wondering why?

Has to be something else going on here.

[byeya]

47. If Mikulski voted for it I am keeping an open mind because she's been tops in my book.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

8. Al Franken? What's he got to say about this?

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt until hearing his rationale.

[mindem]

31. It is hard to figure out.

Franken and Klobuchar have both been making votes I am not happy with at all, this is only one of them.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

66. I wonder if Jerry Brown is having an influence on some Dems.

He's kept his head down and done some really horrible slashing, but he's positioned the Dems to be so much more effective and come across as fiscal hawks.

[MattBaggins]

78. Bad choice though

People are not as stupid as they think. Fiscal hawks that only slash from the poor and working class don't fly very far.

[phylny]

9. Both my senators from Virginia, too.

I will call, but the last time I called Warner's office, the reply I got was, "The senator has not given us a statement at this time." I'm going to tell them to call me with a response when he "has a statement."

[SummerSnow]

11. Wow...Franken?Hmm

[RobertEarl]

14. Democrats can compromise?

Now the republicans will compromise and vote with democrats for more
bombs. Don't you people see how this works?

[ReRe]

15. I suspect....

... that there was something attached that was much more necessary than food stamps for the drastically needy Americans that the Senator's votes will protect. What could that be? Campaign contributions? This actually occurred on May 21st. If anyone finds out, please come back here and post it, or better yet OP it. Allot of people in WV are probably going to starve to death. So sad.

[cali]

17. and you would be wrong

At least according to my Senators- Bernie and Pat.

and here:

<snip>

I was actually more disturbed that the Democratic Senate Agriculture Committee would vote for a $4.1 billion cut in food stamps — even though the average benefit is about $1.46 per person, per meal, and a recent Institute of Medicine report demonstrates that benefit levels are already too low to stave off hunger. The cut “would mean $90 less a month for 500,000 families already struggling to make ends meet,” according to Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. Berg noted that an amendment by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand would have prevented the SNAP cuts “by instead cutting subsidies for crop insurance companies, many of which are foreign owned.”

<snip>

http://billmoyers.com/2013/05/28/democrats-accept-more-cuts-in-food-stamp-program/

[ReRe]

21. and I would be confused

... went and read all at the link, and I still can't figure out why they voted for this cut in SNAP. I'm tired and my eyes are weak from staring at this screen for too long. Will come back later today and read it again. Thanks for the link, cali!

[SamKnause]

16. Foodstamps

Traitorous bastards.

I am disabled and currently 'survive' on $109.00 per month in food stamps.

I would love to see them live on a $3.63 PER DAY food budget.

Everyone in DC, K-Street, C-Street and Wall Street belong under the prisons, not in them.

[Egalitarian Thug]

18. How about decorating lamp posts?

Franken has been mercilessly pestering me for money of late, I think I'm going to give him an opportunity to earn some with an explanation of this.

[davidpdx]

19. Some of those aren't too surprising given they are Blue Dogs

the others I only have one thing to say:

Earth to California: Feinstein has become inept and it's time to replace her.

[Le Taz Hot]

29. The DNC would never tolerate anyone running against her.

Last edited Tue Jun 4, 2013, 08:58 AM - Edit history (1)

She's fucking entrenched. HOWEVER, she will be 85 years old the next time she runs and I would HOPE even that she would be too much of a dinosaur by then for her to make an attempt. Kamala Harris would be a GREAT replacement for her.

[davidpdx]

36. Yeah I saw that in your post on the other thread

I totally agree with you about her being entrenched. She needs to step aside and let someone else take over before her health goes down hill like Senator Lautenberg did (and Byrd and Kennedy before him).

The fact that Senator Lautenberg's death in office put the Democrats in a precarious place where his seat has to be defended this year and next.

[Sirveri]

30. CA wasn't given a choice in the matter.

First, we're only allowed two candidates in the general election (top two vote getters in the primary).
Now I won't vote Republican, but even if I considered that; they gave their candidate ZERO support, so she only pulled maybe 20%.
Then she wasn't primaried.

So we got what the party apparatus wanted and had zero say in the matter. Boxer I'm still OK with, Feinstein I want to see tossed out, but I don't get a choice in the matter.

[davidpdx]

39. Yeah maybe Boxer is ok

Feinstein is going to have to think about retiring soon. California is heavily Democratic and there are plenty of good candidates.

It's too bad Feinstein isn't up again until 2018. Boxer is up in 2016, which she'll have no problem winning.

[Sirveri]

40. Unless Feinstein WANTS to leave, she will not lose her seat.

The party will back her 105% every time. I might not like her MIC connections but she knows where the bodies are buried and is basically untouchable. It's kind of like having a monarchy, they serve as long as they want to serve.

[tavalon]

22. Franken?! Fuck!

[marmar]

24. Disgusted.

We need a Bernie Sanders cloning machine.

[dorkzilla]

26. +1,000,000,000

I'd like to also request an Alan Grayson cloning machine while we are at it!

[RandiFan1290]

25. It seems like theater

Like 1(%) person owns both teams and this is all for show....

[Eddie Haskell]

56. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

I believe this whole sequester thing was an engineered compromise reached prior to Jan. 1. During the negotiations, when Obama gave the Republicans what they wanted without getting a budget resolution, I realized the game was over. Now you can blame the Republicans, or you can Blame Obama’s negotiating skills; but I think the deal was struck. From that point on, the bickering has been a show. What we’re watching is a Soviet style collapse wrapped up in partisan politics to avoid disclosure. I believe both sides want to hide our fiscal difficulties as long as possible.

[bvar22]

73. Same thing with the Health Care "debate" and the death of the Public Option.

The Deal was Done behind closed doors, and the "debate" was just Kabuki Theater to keep the peasants distracted,
and foster the illusion that we have a choice.

[a kennedy]

32. Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren voted for it......

Which Democrats voted against restoring food stamps--voting against veterans, children, seniors, and struggling to get by?

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)
Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)

Now, on the positive side, who were the 26 that voted for Gillibrand's amendment?

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sen. Sherod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA)
Sen. Mo Cowan (D-MA)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Sen. Angus King (I-ME)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT)
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/21/1210783/-Which-Democrats-Just-Voted-against-Food-Stamps

[davidpdx]

37. I always like to point out my two senators voted the right way

Damn proud of them!

[cali]

42. I damn well expect my two senators to vote the right way and

and Bernie and Pat almost always do.

[davidpdx]

80. They are good ones

[suffragette]

74. Thanks. That link provides more specific info. Looks like this was doubly bad

since a vote for Gillibrand's amendment would also have reduced corporate farm subsidies as an offset to restoring food stamp funding. Glad to see Murray and Cantwell voted for the amendment.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/21/1210783/-Which-Democrats-Just-Voted-against-Food-Stamps

However, the amendment on which I would like to focus attention here is that of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Gillibrand proposed to restore the $4 billion that the current farm bill--designed by Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS)--cuts from SNAP (Supplemental Food Assistance, known as food stamps--as I indicated above) and to offset this restored funding with a limitation on crop insurance reimbursements. Our current crop insurance subsidies benefit large farms at the expense of smaller ones and are one of the many glaring manifestations of corporate welfare that Congress never fixes. Gillibrand's amendment would, in essence, cut corporate welfare spending to restore social welfare spending. Did this progressive proposal pass? Not even close. It failed 26-70: not even a majority of Democrats voted for it.

[burnodo]

33. Ours is not to reason why...

ours is just to vote and die

[vi5]

34. Doing their duty as modern Democrats

Another nail in the coffin of a formerly great political party that did a lot of good for a lot of people, and put the average citizen above the needs of the wealthy and corporations.

No more, apparently.

[ismnotwasm]

38. They should only be allowed a food stamp vote

After living on a food stamp budget for two weeks. Or perhaps after a vote like that.

Signed he petition BTW.

Edit; my Washington state senators are on the side of good here

[closeupready]

41. Name and shame. Disgraceful people.

[spanone]

43. democrats?

bullshit.

[forestpath]

44. I live in VA. Just talked to somebody at Kaine's office and got the MOST convoluted bullshit

response.

She told me he voted to cut food stamps but he wasn't really voting to cut food stamps, oh no...it's just that the states are using the food stamps to pay for other needs like heating as well as food, so Kaine wanted to make sure States can only use food stamp funds for food.

What utter crapola.

I pointed out that made zero sense since the only people getting punished are poor people who will still be getting less money for food.

But it was like talking to the wall.

Fuck ANY Democrat who acts like a Republican.

[bullwinkle428]

46. Damn. Harkin's vote really pisses me off, since he's retiring, and doesn't

have to worry about votes being used against him in an upcoming election.

[bunnies]

48. WTF Shaheen?

First she votes against GMO labeling and now FOR cutting food stamps?! I am so fucking pissed right now.

[galileoreloaded]

50. you cant see whats happening? the feds are loosing the ability to fund daily operations

and are dropping the frog (public) into kettle and turning up the heat slowly.

*shrug

[Eddie Haskell]

57. When the USSR collapsed, the Berlin Wall came down.

To save its empire, the USA is tearing down the wall that stands between its people and poverty. As always, the poor will pay the price.

[galileoreloaded]

60. quite correct.

if as a person living in America today you do not revert back to a hunter/gatherer, you surely lose.

[City Lights]

53. Durbin is really pissing me off lately.

[fredamae]

55. As I've said many times

there Is a River of Corporate Crap with-in the Dem Party!
We need to stop being distrated by the GOP Squirrels (aka: Cute Rodents) and pay attention to our own "jerks"-in other words, stop voting against Our best interests too.
Vet thoroughly and check their votings records, cuz that's where the "rubber hits the road"...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

58. No doubt, after voting, they had a hearty lunch paid for by the taxpayers.

That "dimes worth of difference" has been whittled down to a nickel.

[Erose999]

59. Time to start revoking committee chairs and other goodies handed to these fuckers. Pull your weight

or GTFO.

[Demo_Chris]

61. It doesn't matter how angry you are if you continue to give them your vote...

They know it, and unless you are delusional you know it as well. So long as they can represent the 1% an still get your support they have absolutely no reason to represent you.

[Apophis]

62. 28 pieces of garbage.

How can anyone do this to the poor?

[Skeeter Barnes]

63. Beyond disappointing. An outright betrayal.

[MFM008]

64. Try living on $30 a week in food.

Thats what I get. Milk, cereal, bread some greens. ( we all know ho expensive fresh produce is).

[liberal_at_heart]

65. This is an absolute disgrace.

[Mr. David]

67. Fine. I will be sending a letter to both of my useless Senators CHALLENGING them to live on food

stamps for a week.

Bennet and M. Udall are my useless Senators today.

[Comrade Grumpy]

68. We need a two-party system. This single party with two wings isn't cutting it.

[librechik]

70. theres' a passel of so called progressives in there

what did they vote FOR? was the SNAP cut a casualty of something more important that HAD to be passed?

[Corruption Inc]

71. Then they voted NOT to cut $12 billion more in food stamps

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00130

It could have been much worse. Still, "Austerity" is here to stay until the corruption that rules every walk of life in our country is systemically addressed.

That's not likely to happen anytime soon with everyone more interested in the latest TV courtroom drama or celebrity gossip.

[still_one]

75. They should not have cut any for the people that need it the most.

[FarCenter]

72. The cut appears to be $4 billion over 5 years, or $1 B/year on an $80 B/year program.

[MattBaggins]

79. Why am I not surprised to see you defending it?

[Kablooie]

76. I'd like to see what the bill actually said before forming an opinion.

The web page simply makes a bold claim with no information as to specifics.

Simply following inflamatory internet headlines blindly is not the smartest way to follow politics.

[still_one]

77. Except I trust Bernie Sanders, Daily Kos, and Thom Hartman, before I trust those Democrats