J.D. Vance’s “Swamp Creature” Voting Record
HR 4366 Consolidated Appropriations Minibus (Vance Voted for this Expense). Provides roughly $279 billion in spending for three of the 12 fiscal 2024 appropriations bills. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.
Estimated Cost Per Household: $2,405
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R. 4366) would provide roughly $279 billion in total discretionary spending for three of the 12 fiscal 2024 appropriations bills. This includes funding for Defense Department military construction projects; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department ofAgriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Transportation, and Department of Housing and Urban Development; and various other agencies.
With the exception of the Department of Defense, none of these federal departments or agencies is authorized by the Constitution. Furthermore, in light of a $33.9 trillion national debt and a $1.7 trillion budget deficit, this appropriations bill is fiscally irresponsible.
Amendment to HR 3746 Spending Reductions (Vance Voted Against this Spending Reduction). Decreases federal spending from $4.8 to $3.9 trillion over four years. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.
Estimated Cost Per Household: $+6,860 (Tax Savings)
During consideration of the bipartisan debt-limit deal (H.R. 3746), Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered a substitute amendment to increase the debt limit by $500 billion (rather than suspend the limit through January 1, 2025) and limit federal outlays to $4.8 trillion for fiscal 2024, decreasing this limit annually by five percent through fiscal 2028, at $3.9 trillion.
Runaway, deficit-laden federal spending, most of which is unconstitutional, must be brought under control, and Paul’s proposal would have been a step in the right direction.
S 870 Federal Firefighter Grants (Vance Voted in Favor of this Expense). Unconstitutionally authorizes $95 million annually through fiscal 2030 for the USFA, increasing funding levels by 24 percent. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.
Estimated Cost Per Household: $1
S. 870 would authorize $95 million annually through fiscal 2030 for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), increasing funding levels by 24 percent. S. 870 would also authorize $3.4 million to create standards for assessing new firefighting technologies, reauthorize through fiscal 2030 two Federal Emergency Management Agency grant programs assisting local fire departments, and ban Chinese entities from receiving any of these funds.
The Constitution does not authorize any federal spending for firefighting. Furthermore, the strings that come attached to grants for local fire departments move the United States closer to federalizing firefighting.
Amendment to HR 6363 Spending Reductions (Vance voted Against this Spending Reduction). Reduces funding in the bill for most federal agencies by 15 percent, and rescinds $30 billion in IRS enforcement funds. See U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 8.
Estimated Cost Per Household: $+1,131 (Tax Savings)
During consideration of the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 6363), Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered an amendment to reduce funding in the bill by 15 percent, except for the Department of Defense, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and to rescind $30 billion in enforcement funds for the Internal Revenue Service.
Reining in government spending ought to be an urgent priority given that about 80 percent of the current federal bureaucracy is unconstitutional and the national debt surpassed $34 trillion. Members of Congress must also be willing to take immediate action to eliminate all spending not specifically authorized by Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. Their ongoing failure to do so is contributing to the decline of the American Republic.
FISA Reauthorization
FISA has been used to spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant in violation of the Fourth Amendment. While the bill includes provisions ostensibly to protect the privacy of U.S. citizens, those provisions fail to uphold Americans’ Fourth Amendment-protected rights. Furthermore, the FISA Court approves just about any surveillance request that comes its way, and given the track record of intelligence agencies, it is unlikely that they would actually follow these rules.
H.R. 7888, titled the “Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act,” would reauthorize for two years, until 2026, Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which governs electronic surveillance of foreign terrorism suspects. Among other provisions, the bill would require additional procedures for searches by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) involving U.S. citizens and FBI surveillance requests to the secret FISA Court. It would also expand the definition of an “electronic communication service provider” and allow congressional leaders to access FISA Court and FISA Court of Review meetings.
The Senate passed H.R. 7888 on April 20, 2024 by a vote of 60 to 34 (Roll Call 150). This action was unconstitutional because FISA has been used to spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant in violation of the Fourth Amendment. While the bill includes provisions ostensibly to protect the privacy of U.S. citizens, those provisions fail to uphold Americans’ Fourth Amendment-protected rights. Furthermore, the FISA Court approves just about any surveillance request that comes its way, and given the track record of intelligence agencies, it is unlikely that they would actually follow these rules.
During consideration of H.R. 7888, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered an amendment to prohibit federal officials from requesting orders under FISA to surveil U.S. persons, including citizens and permanent residents. It would ban officials from querying information collected under Section 702 using search terms connected to a U.S. person. Additionally, the amendment would prohibit information obtained about a U.S. person from being used as evidence against that person in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings.
The Senate rejected Paul’s amendment on April 19, 2024 by a vote of 11 to 81 (Roll Call 147).
Vance was MIA for both of these critical votes on this core constitutional issue.
This is but a sample which clearly demonstrates Vance’s commitment to ignoring the clear limitations of the Constitution in favor of big government and massive debt.
This mess is so far from what the founding fathers envisioned for a government. Will you help us set it straight?
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We believe the American system of government, a constitutional Republic, is the finest ever developed by man.
We believe the traditional moral values of our Judeo-Christian heritage form the cornerstone of western civilization and that the family is the most vital unit of society.
We believe the free market system, competitive capitalism, and private enterprise afford the widest opportunity and highest standard of living for all.
We believe in the dignity of the individual. We welcome people from all ethnic racial and religious backgrounds judging others only by character and ability - as we wish to be judged ourselves - our common bond is a love for liberty and our rejection of totalitarianism under any label.
We believe that individual rights are endowed by our creator, not government; that the government's function should be limited to protecting our right to life, liberty, and property; and that individual rights are inseparably linked to individual responsibility.
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