Senate Budget Vote-a-Rama Today: Track the Best and Worst Amendments Here!

Before the Senate takes a final vote on their Republican budget proposal (S.Con.Res. 11), they will have voted on dozens of amendments. None of these amendments would have the full force of law, as the budget resolution is only an instructional document, but these votes are useful to measure where our senators stand on various issues.

Here is a list of the best amendments that FreedomWorks would like to see pass (assuming that they receive a vote) , and may score on our 2015 Congressional Scorecard if they come up for a vote. Note: this list will be updated throughout the day.

  • Amendment #515 (Vitter): To allow states to opt out of the Common Core educational standards without penalty [Update: Passed, 54-46]
  • Amendment #608 (Thune): To fully repeal the “death tax”.[Passed, 54-46]
  • Amendment #666 (Flake): To means-test crop insurance payments for producers with over $750K income
  • Amendment #673 (Flake): To eliminate the Economic Development Agency, an obsolete program that is often used as a back-door way to dole out earmarks.
  • Amendment #754 (Lee): To repeal the Davis-Bacon Act, which forces government contracts to pay high union wages for their projects.
  • Amendment #808 (Thune): To permanently extend the ban on taxing internet access.
  • Amendment #856 (Lee): To prevent the FCC from classifying internet providers as "common carriers"
  • Amendment #928 (Blunt): To prevent a carbon tax [Update: Passed, 58-42]
  • Amendment #956 (Lee): To require a search warrant in order for government agencies to read your emails.
  • Amendment #969 (Cruz): To prevent the FEC from inhibiting free political speech on the internet.
  • Amendment #970 (Cruz): To allow federal education dollars to follow kids to whatever school – public/private/charter – their parents choose.

And here are some of the worst amendments, which FreedomWorks would like to see defeated. We may score votes against these amendments on our 2015 Congressional Scorecard.

  • Amendment #432 (Baldwin): To massively raise taxes on high-income earners to pay for individuals to receive two free years of community college [Failed, 45-55]
  • Amendment #881 (Sanders): To substantially increase the minimum wage [Update: Failed, 48-52]