Democrat Controlled Congress...good for America?

The Democrat Majority: By the Numbers

A. 1 Fiscal year 2008 spending bills signed into law.
B. $3.11 Per gallon of gas and no energy bill to lower gas prices.
C. 19 Percentage of Americans who approve of Congress.
D. 20 Years since the last time it took Congress so long to confirm an attorney general.
E. 20 Years since the last time it took Congress so long to get a single spending bill to the  president.
F. 33 States with operating budgets lower than the $9 billion in overspending contained in the Labor-HHS-Ed appropriations bill.
G. 46 Days into the 2008 fiscal year with only 1 of 12 spending bills signed into law.
H. 46 Bills signed into law naming post offices and other federal properties.
I. 46 Days until expiration of the research and development tax credit.
J. 46 Days until 2008, and still no Alternative Minimum Tax relief.
K. 60 Political Iraq votes held in the House and Senate.
L. 66 Percent of foreign intelligence missed when court orders were required for surveillance, according to DNI Mike McConnell.
M. 283 Days since the president requested funding for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and still no action.
N. 315 Days since the Alternative Minimum Tax “relief” expired.
O. $91.17 Per gallon of crude oil, and no energy bill to lower gas prices.
P. $2,769 Each American household’s share of the $313 billion in spending over 10 yearsthat would result from the Democrats’ fiscal year 2008 appropriations bills.
Q. 3,000 Troops in Iraq who will be home by Christmas 2007 due to the securityprogress made under the Petraeus plan.
R. 12,000+ Number of earmarks in House and Senate spending bills.
S. $100,000 Funding for Los Angeles Fashion District in House Transportation-HUD appropriations bill.
T. $300,000 Funding for San Francisco Exploratorium museum in Labor-HHS-Edappropriations conference report.
U. $1 million Woodstock museum funding sought by Democrats in Labor-HHS-Ed andremoved by Republicans.
V. $2 million Funding cut from Department of Labor union boss watchdog office.
W. 22 million New smokers needed to pay for Democrat SCHIP plan.
X. 25 million American taxpayers who will pay higher taxes if no AMT bill is passed24.
Y. 50 million American taxpayers who will have their tax filings complicated by further delayin passage of an AMT bill25.
Z. $3 billion Border security funding pulled from defense spending bill by Democrats.
AA. $23 billion Additional spending proposed by Democrats over the government’s funding needs.
BB. $80 billion Additional taxes on Americans in one year that would result from the House Democrats’ one-year AMT bill.
CC. $313 billion The 10-year cost of the Democrats’ $23 billion in spending over the government’s funding needs for fiscal year 2008.
DD. $916 billion Additional taxes over 10 years proposed in the Democrats’ budget.
EE. $1.3 trillion Additional taxes over 10 years that would result from Democrats’ permanent   AMT bill.

1. Department of Defense appropriations signed by the president on November 13, 2007.
2. Energy Information Administration, “Weekly U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices, Regular Grade,” 11/12/07.
3. NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, http://www.pollingreport.com/CongJob.htm
<http://www.pollingreport.com/CongJob.htm>, 11/1/07-11/5/07.
4. President Reagan nominee Edwin Meese, 1987.
5. 1987, Democrats controlled the House and Senate.
6. National Association of State Budget Officers Report,
http://www.nasbo.org/Publications/PDFs/2005%20State%20Expenditure%20Report.pdf.
7. Fiscal year 2008 began on October 1, 2007.  Forty-six days from October 1-November 15.
8. Mark Silva, “Half the ’07 congressional record: Naming things,” Chicago Tribune “The Swamp” blog,
10/26/07.  Bill count provided by House Republican Leader John Boehner.  Full list of bills available from the Senate Republican Conference upon request.
9. The research and development tax credit will expire on December 31, 2007.  Forty-six days between November 15-December 31.
10. Forty-six days between November 15-December 31.
11. Sixty Iraq votes held in the House and Senate between January 3, 2007, and November 14, 2007.  Full list of votes available upon request from the Senate Republican Conference.
12. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, 2007 testimony before House and Senate committees.
13. On February 5, 2007, the president submitted his budget, including a funding request for troops in
Iraq and Afghanistan.  283 days between February 5-November 15.
14. Alternative Minimum Tax relief expired on January 1, 2007.  314 days between January 1-November 15.
15. Energy Information Administration, “This Week in Petroleum,” 11/7/07.
16. Census Bureau, 113 million American households, 2005.  Senate Budget Committee Republican staff.
17. Information provided by Major Peggy Kageleiry, spokeswoman for U.S. forces in northern Iraq.  Missy Ryan, “U.S. pulls 3,000 troops from Iraq’s Diyala Province,” Reuters, 11/13/07.
18. Office of Management and Budget, 11/5/07.  http://earmarks.omb.gov/.
19. Senate Republican Conference “Pork Report.”
http://src.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Home.Home.
20. Senate Republican Conference “Pork Report.”
http://src.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Home.Home.
21. Senate Republican Conference “Pork Report.”
http://src.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Home.Home.
22. Labor-HHS-Ed, Senate bill.
23. Michelle Bucci and William Beach, “22 Million New Smokers Needed: Funding SCHIP Expansion with  a Tobacco Tax,” Heritage Foundation, 7/11/07. http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/wm1548.cfm.