Saturday, July 12, 2014

Voting Record: Congressman D. Duncan Hunter (R-50)


Congressman Hunter (R CA-50) is presently voting with the Constitution about 70% of the time.  It's the 30% that hurts.  What is just as concerning is the negative trending.  The congressman had a 95% rating (Freedom Works) in 2009, 82% in 2011, 68% in 2012 and dropped to 65% in 2013 - in a district in which he defeated his Democratic opponent by 40 points.  I am not questioning the Congressman’s intentions.  I believe him to be doing what he thinks is right, but freedom, prosperity and reform respond to our adherence to the great ideas of our Framers not our best intentions.



VOTING RECORD

Feb 2011-Restricted our First Amendment rights with H.R. 347
Mar 2011-Tells Fox News military can attack without a Congressional Declaration of War

Dec 2011-Voted for indefinite detention of American citizens

Jul 2012-Voted 1.6B in funding for the U.N. in violation of our national sovereignty, H.R. 6018

Jan 2013 –Voted for the Sandy Relief wealth redistribution bill, H.R. 152

Jan 2013-Voted to kick the debt can down the road, H.R. 325

Mar 2013-Voted to fully fund ObamaCare, H.R.933Article.
Refused to sign te Meadows Letter to Defund ObamaCare through the Continuing Resolution.  Congressman Mark Meadows solicited signatures for a letter to Speaker Boehner, asking that the House Republicans stand firm in their commitment to defund ObamaCare through the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government. Members who signed the letter affirmed their commitment to resist ObamaCare using a must-pass bill (the CR), rather than continuing to take ineffectual, symbolic votes to that effect.

Apr 2013-Voted to CISPA internet sharing with government, H.R. 624

Jun 2013 - Voted against reforming the Federal Sugar Program.
Amendment 52 to H.R. 1947 would have 1) repealed unnecessary trade restrictions, 2) eliminated higher price support levels
McClintock, Rohrabacher, Bachmann, Chaftez, Gowdy, Salmon voted "Yes"
Hunter and Boehner voted "No"

Jul 2013-Voted against Amendment to end NSA surveillance of phone conversations

Jul 2013 – Voted to strike the words “not to exceed” from the funding of the Office of Intelligence,Security and Emergency Response. Amendment #418 to H.R. 2610.
(McClintock, Issa and Rohrbacher voted to keep those words in)

Jul 2013 – While at a fundraiser at his parent’s Alpine home tells those gathered that the Heritage Foundation is no longer welcome at is Washington office (Heritage was challenging his support of the unconstitutional farm bill)

Dec 2013 – Voted to overturn the Budget Control Act of 2011 which reduced sequester cuts and spending caps, increased user fees and taxes, and increased spending.

Mar 2014 - Voted 1B Ukrainian loan guarantee, "a promise by one party (American taxpayer) to assume the debt obligation (1B) of a borrower (Ukrainian business owner) if that borrower defaults. H.R. 4152.

Jan 2014 - Voted  for H.R. 3370 - Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act
This bill would delay a major reform to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that would have returned some semblance of market rates to flood insurance premiums. Currently, NFIP is over $25 billion in debt because homeowners in frequently flooded areas do not have to pay an amount that is equal to the risk they incur, meaning that the government takes a loss when the inevitable floods occur.  
Jul 2014 – Voted against McClintock’s H. Amend #992 to reduce government spending for renewable energy by 3B.  (McClintock & Rohrabacher and Amash voted “Yes”)

Jul 2014 – Joined Pelosi and Scott Peters in voting against House Amendment #1032 (Stockman) to H.R.  4923 and opposed Amash, McClintock, Rohrabacher's attempt to prohibit the government from using our taxes for Department of Energy loans.

Jul 2014 - Should the President be able to usurp congress with executive orders?
H.R. 4809
Congressman Hunter, Scott Peters and Nancy Pelosi say “Yes”.
Congressman McClintock, Amash and Rohrabacher say “No”.                 
No one questions the need for the Federal Government to obtain the necessary
resource to fulfill its constitutional role of providing for the common defense.  However, the Federal Government must fulfill this duty in a manner that does not conflict in any way with  the Constitution or endanger republican government.  The Defense Production Reauthorization Act (DPA), which gives almost unchecked power to the executive to interfere in the economy in the name of `national security,’ fails both of these standards.

Sep 2014 - Voted to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank (H.J. Res. 124)
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy commented "The bank should be allowed to expire in September because the private sector can and should do it."  Additionally, the bill contained just a two month extension of the Internet Tax Freedom Act which prevents states from imposing taxes on internet access. This places the expiration of ITFA right in the middle of a lame duck session setting up a potential fight over the so called "Market Place Fairness Act" or Internet Sales Tax.

October 2014 Voted 'Biggest Party Animal' (Washingtonian)
White House staffers in their 15th biennial survey "The Best & Worst of Congress"
Staffers recognize Congressman Hunter as a big partier.

Dec 2014 - Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2015 (H.R. 4681)
Should the Executive Branch be granted unlimited access to our non-public telephone and electronic communications?
Amash, McClintock, Rohrabacher voted "No"

Hunter voted "Yes"

Dec 2014 - 1.1 Trillion Cromnibus Spending Bill to fund Obamacare (H.R. 83)
1,600 page bill (longer than Tolstoy's War and Peace) was not read and should have been broken down into twelve separate appropriation bills.
Amash, McClintock, Rohrabacher voted "No"
In the Senate: Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee voted "No"
Hunter, Scott Peters and Susan Davis      "Yea"
Comment from David Stockman (Reagan Budget Director)

March 2014 - Trauma Care for All Americans
With a Republican majority in the House why aren't we seeing limited government and more
"check & balance"?  H.R. 647 authorized "$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020." Limited Government votes:  McClintock and Amash
Big Government votes:          Hunter, Pelosi and Peters

March 2015 - Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015
H.R. 2 Extended health care for children at a cost of half-a-trillion dollars over the next twenty years according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. In most previous years the cost of the patch has been paid with other cuts.  This time only one third was offset.
Amash, Issa and McClintock voted "No"
Hunter, Pelosi, Davis, Peters and Vargas voted "Yea"

March 2015 USA Freedom Act of 2015 (H.R. 2408)
The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the bulk telephone metadata program run by the NSA is not authorized by the Patriot Act and is thus unlawful.  That "win" was short-lived.  H.R. 2408 passed the House expanding the statutory basis for the large scale collection of most data. H.R. 2408 does this by authorizing the government to order the production of records based upon "specific selection term" (i.e. like a search term used in a search engine). Unfortunately, "specific selection term" is defined so broadly under the bill as to have little effect on narrowing the scope of items the government may obtain. Find the Patriot defending our freedom ...
Amash, Massie, McClintock, Rohrabacher:  Nay
Hunter:   Yea


June 2015 The Dot Com Act (H.R. 805)
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration that oversees the domain name system recommended that control should be privatized.
Find the Patriot defending limited constitutional government ...
Amash, Massie, McClintock and Rohrabacher: Nay
Pelosi, Peters and Hunter: Yea

October 2015 Reauthorize Export-Import Bank (H.R. 597)
There is no better example of corporate welfare than the Export-Import Bank. The deal is simple taxpayer provide the cash and exporter collect the profit. It is neither moral, nor economical or constitutional to take 425M from American workers and redistribute to Kazakhstan companies to buy from GE.
Find the Patriot defending free markets ...
Amash, Massie, McClintock and Rohrabacher: Nay
Pelosi, Peters and Hunter: Yea

November 2015 10th Amendment Violation
SAFE Trucking Act - Ribble Amendment (H.R. 22 Roll Call 588)
James Madison wrote in Federalist #45 "the powers delegated by the proposed Constitution are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." The federal government currently controls the U.S. truck weight limits forcing trucks to leave farms and plants before they reach capacity. This authority is not enumerated in the U.S. Constitution. The Ribble Amendment would have corrected this violation.
Find the Patriot defending limited constitutional government...

Amash, Massie, McClintock and Rohrabacher: Yea
Pelosi, Peters and Hunter: No

April 2016 Global Food Security (H.R. 1567)
This bill would authorize sending taxpayer dollars to developing countries to reduce global hunger and poverty and improve nutrition.  This is not an enumerated power in the U.S. Constitution.
Find the Patriot defending limited government ...
Amash, Massie, McClintock: Nay
Pelosi, Peters and Hunter: Yea





April 2016 Investigated for Campaign Finance Fraud (The Daily Beast)
Federal Election Commission is investing for widespread misuse of funds.
- $1,302 on video games
- $1,605 on his children's tuition at private Christian school
- $6,819 at various supermarkets like Trader Joe's
- $229 at Tomorrowland gift shop at Disneyland
- $1,569 for gas, water and home utility bills
- a new garage door, oral surgery and charges at a surf shop.
- Hunter hires Berke Farah LLP  for legal counsel. A firm specializing in campaign finance law.
- Hunter takes third loan out on his home to repay $49,000.

May 2016 National Defense: Managing Energy Costs (Amendment to H.R. 4909)
Should the DOD be required to evaluate the different costs of energy and purchase the most effective cost option available? (vote)
Find the Patriot defending workers paychecks and limited government ...
Amash, Massie, McClintock, Rohrahbacher: Yea
Pelosi, Peters and Hunter: Nay

June 2016 PROMESA (H.R. 5278)
Like Detroit, Puerto Rico is in distress because of Washington and Puerto Rican regulation violating free market principles. Puerto Rico is now defaulting. Is it the constitutional role of the federal government to step in to oversee their budget and debt repayment?
Additional Information
Hunter, Peters and Pelosi: 'Aye'

Amash, Issa, Massie, McClintock and Rohrabacher: 'No'

June 2016 Fourth Amendment / Unlawful Search and Seizure (H.R. 5602)
Unlawful expansion of the Patriot Act. House leaders rushed this under suspension of the rules. Consequently no debate or amendments could be considered. Is our right against unreasonable search and seizure a right granted by our Creator or a privilege granted by the king.  Congressman Hunter voted with Co-Sponsor Maxine Waters (D-CA), Nancy Pelosi and Scott Peters to expand the governments power. Congressmen Amash, Massie, McClintock and Rohrabacher disagreed saying it is an inalienable right granted by our Creator.

November 2016 Concrete Promotion Act (H.R. 985)
SDRostra: Crony Capitalism
Conservative Review: GOP Passes New Tax on Concrete
Six days after Trump wins Presidential election to "Make America Great Again" Hunter votes to expand government with a new tax on concrete the help a declining industry compete.
Hunter, Peters and Pelosi: 'Aye'
Amash, Massie, Sanford, McClintock, Chaffetz: 'No'

CONSERVATIVE SCORECARDS (December 2014)
     American Conservative Union          78%             C+   2015 92%                    A-
        * Down from 100% in 2012
     Americans for Prosperity                   62%             D-   2016 88%                    B+
     John Birch Freedom Index                 70%             C     114th Cong. 73%       C
     Club for Growth                                   75%             C     2015 71%                    C-
     Freedom Works                                   76%             C     114th Cong. 67%       D+
         * Hunter fell from a 95% in
           2009 to a 65% in 2013.                            
     Heritage Action Scorecard                 67%             D+   2016 70%                   C-