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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOW DID PETE DOMENICI VOTE?
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
provided this information to Tristani for U.S. Senate

Social Security and Pensions:

Domenici voted for a Republican budget plan to take $75 billion in Social Security Trust Fund money and pay for tax cuts to benefit special interests and the wealthy. [S1429, 7/30/1999, Senate Vote #236]

Domenici has voted to freeze or reduce cost of living increases for Social Security recipients at least seven times. [5/8/1981, #94; 5/12/1981, #109; 4/30/1985, #34, 5/1/1985, #35; 5/10/85, #72; 5/10/1985, #73; 10/10/1985, #215]

Domenici voted against restoring full benefits to retirees who have lost their pensions when the companies they worked for went bankrupt. [11/12/1991, #248]

Health Care:

Domenici voted against an amendment to the Patient’s Bill of Rights that would require HMOs to allow women to choose obstetricians and gynecologists as primary care providers, and to get obstetrical and gynecological care without referral; ensures that an HMO cannot require women to leave a hospital prematurely after a mastectomy, lumpectomy, or lymph node dissection; and includes full deductibility of insurance for self-employed individuals. [S1344, 7/13/1999, Senate Vote #198]

Domenici voted against restoring Medicaid eligibility for children, pregnant women, including prenatal care and delivery services, and to strike the cap on foster care administrative expenses. [S1357, 10/27/1995, Senate Vote #532]

Domenici sponsored a motion to halt creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which has provided coverage for 2 million uninsured children nationwide. [5/21/1997, #76]

Domenici voted with the insurance companies against a strong Patient’s Bill of Rights that would have ensured that doctors and patients, not insurance company bureaucrats, make health care decisions. [6/29/2001, #220]

Many high-cost drugs used for the treatment of such killer diseases as AIDS and colon cancer were developed partly with federal grants. A 1998 Boston Globe study found that 45 of 50 top-selling drugs got government subsidies totaling nearly $175 million. [Boston Globe, April 5, 1998] An amendment offered on the Senate floor in 2000 would have at least required drug companies to charge consumers reasonable prices for drugs developed at taxpayer expense. Pete Domenici voted to stick it to taxpayers twice by opposing an amendment that would require drug companies to charge reasonable prices for prescription drugs developed. [HR 4577, 6/30/2000, #168]

Domenici voted to repeal standards that protect nursing home patients from negligent and abusive caretakers and practices like drugging residents and strapping them to their beds. [10/27/1995, #522]

In a bill designed to make it tougher for consumers to erase credit card and other debts, Domenici voted against an exemption that would allow persons to seek protection if they are bankrupted by medical bills that they cannot pay. When care through professional health care providers can no longer be postponed, people borrow money to pay costs up front, sell property, charge credit cards for large health care bills that will take years to repay, or eventually become bankrupt. In 1999, about 500,000 people sought bankruptcy protection in the United States due to their crushing medical expenses. [USA Today, “Medical Bills Play Big Role in Bankruptcies,” April 25, 2000, citing Norton’s Bankruptcy Adviser; S42, Senate Vote #16, 3/7/2001]

Medicare:

Domenici voted to raise the Medicare retirement age to 67 years of age. [6/24/1997, #112; 6/24/1997, #115]

Domenici voted against creating a prescription drug program that would be available to all Medicare beneficiaries, including those in rural areas. [6/22/2000, #144]

Domenici voted to cut projected Medicare spending by $270 billion and fund a $245 billion tax cut that would mainly benefit the wealthy. This vote would have increased seniors’ health care costs by doubling Medicare premiums from $46 to $90. [11/17/1995, #584]

Education:

Domenici supported eliminating federal education programs that help provide computers for classrooms, improve teacher quality, and increase educational opportunity for poor students, recent immigrants, and Native Americans. [9/11/1997, #232]

Domenici voted against increasing college aid for lower income students through Pell grants. [4/7/2000, #69]

Domenici opposed improving the quality of teachers in public schools voting against increasing assistance for teacher development, training, and recruitment. [5/4/2000, #91]

Domenici opposed expanding after-school programs that would provide children with safe, supervised learning and activity centers. [9/30/1999, #299]

Domenici voted against helping local districts to repair and modernize crumbling schools. [4/6/2000, #62]

Environment:

Domenici voted against an amendment to the FY 99 Budget Resolution that would allow more money to be spent on environmental programs, including $2.1 billion for Superfund (a 40% increase at the time). This would have helped speed up cleanups of the worst toxic waste programs. [4/2/1998, Senate Vote #65]

Domenici voted to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. [2002]

Jobs:

Domenici voted to preserve a tax loophole that encourages companies to ship jobs overseas: The $1.1 billion loophole allows companies to relocate their plants overseas, and then defer taxes on products shipped to the United States. [CQ#282 9/11/1996; CQ#517, 10/26/1995]

Since coming to Washington, Domenici has voted 14 times to kill or block minimum wage increases and several times to open loopholes or reduce proposed increases. During this period, his own Senate salary has increased from $42,500 to $145,100 per year.

Domenici voted to reduce funding for workplace inspections that help prevent accidents on the job. [9/30/1999, #304]

Domenici voted against Family and Medical Leave. [1993, Senate Vote #11]

Choice:

Domenici voted for a constitutional amendment that would overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to outlaw a woman’s right to choose. [1983 Senate Vote No. 169] Domenici voted on June 20, 2000, to ban military women and dependents of military personnel from obtaining patient-funded abortions at overseas military hospitals. [S2549, 6/20/2000, Senate Vote 134]

Domenici voted to prohibit the federal funding of abortions for women in prison, except for cases of rape or when the life of the mother is endangered. [HR2076, 9/92/95, Senate Vote 134]

Domenici voted to prohibit the federal funding of abortions for women in prison, except for cases of rape or when the life of the mother is endangered. [HR2076, 9/29/95, Senate Vote 478]

Equal Pay:

Domenici voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies for women who are not paid equal wages for equal work; allows those who win wage discrimination claims in court to collect punitive and compensatory damages, in addition to back wages; provides new resources for employer education on wage discrimination; and ensures that women cannot be retaliated against by their employers for sharing pay information. [HR4810, 7/17/2000, Senate Vote #203]

Hate Crimes:

Domenici voted against strengthening federal laws that prevent and prosecute hate crimes. [6/20/2000, #136]

Domenici Opposed the Gun Show Loophole:

Domenici opposed proposals endorsed by police organizations and John McCain that require people who buy guns at gun shows to go through the same background checks that all other gun purchasers must go through. [5/20/1999, #134; 5/12/1999, #111]