<p>some good news... lets hope the ball starts rolling downhill</p>

<p>Vote 906: H R 976: In this 265 to 159 vote the House passed an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.</p>
<p>Vote 757: H R 1: This amendment to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was made in order to implement the recommendations made by the 9/11 commission.</p>
<p>Vote 624: H R 2956: This bill would require the president to begin reducing the number of U.S. troops serving in Iraq 120 days after its enactment and would require most troops to be withdrawn by April 1, 2008. </p>
<p>Vote 425: H R 2206: This bill would provide funding in Iraq without setting withdrawal deadlines for troops. The bill would provide $100 billion in funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This includes emergency supplemental appropriations for the Department of Defense, specifically for operation and maintenance, military personnel, the security forces of both countries and the Defense Health Program. </p>
<p>Vote 40: H R 6: This bill would repeal tax cuts to oil companies and mandate that they pay a fee to remove oil from the Gulf of Mexico. It would also fund renewable energy programs. The act would repeal a tax break that oil and gas firms received in 2004. That break effectively lowered their corporate tax rates. It would also bar oil companies from bidding on new federal leases unless they pay a fee or renegotiate improperly drafted leases from the late ‘90s. Those leases did not require royalty payments on Gulf of Mexico oil production.</p>
<p>Vote 32: H R 5: This bill would lower the interest rate on student loans. </p>
<p>Vote 23: H R 4: This bill would allow the government to negotiate directly with drugmakers for lower prescription drug prices for individuals using Medicare. </p>
<p>Vote 18: H R 2: This bill would increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour over two years.</p>
<p>Yeah what a maroon. Me thinks you're the moron dT. :)</p>

<p>um, barton, you do realise that  us laws affect the rest of us.  no us poker players = no traffic for online poker.  who am i gonna play against if poker was banned in the us??</p>

<p>having a ton of americans more easily capable of putting money online would be a win for any poker player, no matter where you are.</p>

<p>JT, you are severely misinformed.  I'm guessing it's a knee-jerk reaction because of Barney's sexual orientation, or you listen to right-wing pundits and ignorant of the reality that it's all just entertainment.  Nice homework MotorCity, you are correct sir and get the gold star.   </p>
<p>Barney is smart, tough and will stand on principle even when inconvenient or unpopular.  Without his fortitude, the anti-poker forces would have made more gains against us as opposed to us in fact advancing a roll back of this ridiculous ban.</p>
<p> I have been expecting this to clear committee for the last week or so, glad it finally made it. The biggest complication was on the issue of sports betting.  If we don't seperate the two, it could kill rolling back the UIGEA. Keep in mind that the bill still needs to pass the full House and then Senate.  Probably unlikely to happen this year.  We also need to hope that McCain is not elected because we are unlikely to have his support, and definitely not the support of those who currently have his ear -- religi-cons and neo-cons.  </p>

<p>yeah, one issue voters who don't want to have to go back to working a $7/hr job ftw is EXACTLY RIGHT.</p>

<p>''These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis,'' said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ''The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.'' </p>
<p>This was from 2003.</p>