Report from Russ Jackson
Here is the voting on S 294 this week (the Lautenberg/Lott Amtrak reauthorization bill), taken from the US Senate website. Note who didn’t vote: Four of the six Dems were in Philadelphia for that night’s debate. At least their votes weren’t needed.
If they had voted they would probably have voted Aye making it even more veto proof. McCain and Sessions would likely have voted No, so a final vote COULD have been 76-24. It takes 67 to override a veto. Senator Lott started this bill process and his work has paid off in a big bi-partisan way.
A REMINDER, that this bill was actively supported by RailPAC, NARP, URPA, and all the California rail agencies. It must still pass the House of Representatives, possibly in January if the primary elections don’t tie everything up even more. THEN, the big one: Appropriations. They can authorize anything they want, but getting the dough in hand can be another big hurdle, and probably not available until next Fall unless the election gets in the way. Looks good so far.
As compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
Vote Summary
Question: On Passage of the Bill (S.294 as Amended )
Vote Number: 400 Vote Date: October 30, 2007, 04:29 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: S. 294 (Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 )
Measure Title: A bill to reauthorize Amtrak, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 70
NAYs 22
Not Voting 8
Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs —70
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Tester (D-MT)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
NAYs —22
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Craig (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Not Voting – 8
Biden (D-DE)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Harkin (D-IA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Obama (D-IL)
Sessions (R-AL)
Wyden (D-OR)