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David Vitter: Issues Not a Priority

Friday, October 1, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Andrew Koneschusky
(225) 336-4155

David Vitter: Issues Not a Priority GOP Senate candidate's record confirms party politics is top concern BATON ROUGE – While the Democratic candidates focus on substantive issues, David Vitter made it clear that his top priority is “just his presence in the Senate” as reported in The Advocate yesterday. David Vitter’s acknowledgement affirms Democratic claims that Vitter puts personal ambition and party politics above the issues affecting ordinary Louisianians. If elected, Vitter would continue to pursue political gain at the expense of Louisianians, rubber stamping the Republican leadership’s agenda in the Senate, as he has done 99 percent of the time in the House.[1] As reported by The Advocate, “The three Democratic contenders for U.S. Senate all mention issues when asked to point to one thing they will do if elected that will help Louisiana the most. But for U.S. Rep. David Vitter, the lone Republican in the race, it's a different story. Just his presence in the Senate would open all kinds of possibilities, Vitter replied when asked to name his top issue.” Vitter himself has articulated his misplaced top priority in the race. Important issues facing Louisianians are not priorities for the Republican Senate candidate, as evidenced by his failed record that puts Washington Republicans first and Louisianians last: EDUCATION NOT A PRIORITY FOR DAVID VITTER Vitter Opposed Increasing Education Funding for Louisiana’s Schools David Vitter voted for an education appropriations bill that cut Title I funding for 28 of Louisiana’s school districts by a combined $2 million for the current school year. David Vitter has consistently opposed increasing education funding for 2005, casting seven votes to shortchange Louisiana’s schools by $150 million and continuing to block efforts to fully fund No Child Left Behind. [Vote #676, Conference report on HR 2673, 12/8/03; HR 2660 & HR 2673, 108th Congress; Vote #92, Adoption of H.Con.Res. 393, 3/25/04; House Budget Committee Markup, Amendment to H.Con.Res. 393, 3/11/04; Vote #301, Adoption of H.Res. 685, 6/24/04; House Appropriations Committee Markup, Amendment to HR 5006, 7/14/04; Vote #424, Motion on HR 5006, 9/8/04; Vote #428, Amendment to HR 5006, 9/8/04; Vote #440, Passage of HR 5006, 9/9/04] Vitter Opposed Increasing Pell Grant Awards David Vitter voted six times in the past two years against increasing the maximum federal Pell grant award for over 80,000 students at Louisiana’s colleges and universities. [Vote #353, Passage of HR 2660, 7/10/03; Vote #676, Conference report on HR 2673, 12/8/03; House Appropriations Committee Markup, Amendment to HR 2660, 6/25/03; House Budget Committee Markup, Amendment to H.Con.Res. 95, 3/12/03; House Budget Committee Markup, Amendment to H.Con.Res. 393, 3/11/04; House Appropriations Committee Markup, Amendment to HR 4567, 6/9/04] WORKERS’ ISSUES NOT A PRIORITY FOR DAVID VITTER Vitter Blocked Efforts to Curb Job Outsourcing David Vitter blocked efforts to curb job outsourcing, opposing a House Budget Committee amendment in March 2004 that would have prohibited taxpayer dollars from being used to outsource work currently done in the United States. [House Budget Committee Markup, Amendment to H.Con.Res. 393, 3/17/04] Vitter Denied Overtime Pay Protections to Millions David Vitter voted five times over the past two years in favor of the Bush administration’s new overtime rules that will force six million workers nationwide, including thousands in Louisiana, to lose their overtime pay protections. [Vote #351, Amendment to HR 2660, 7/10/03; Vote #353, Passage of HR 2660, 7/10/03; Vote #531, Motion on HR 2660, 10/2/03; Vote #181, Motion on HR 2, 5/18/04; Vote #159, Motion on HR 2660, 5/12/04; EPI, “The Truth Behind the Administration's Numbers on Overtime Pay,” 12/03; EPI, “Longer Hours, Less Pay,” 7/04] Vitter Opposes Increasing the Minimum Wage David Vitter voted against a stand alone measure to increase the minimum wage by $1 over two years and has voiced opposition to a minimum wage increase on the campaign trail. [Vote #43, Amendment to HR 3846, 3/9/00; Times-Picayune, 4/25/99] HEALTHCARE NOT A PRIORITY FOR DAVID VITTER Vitter Opposed Investments in Rural Healthcare David Vitter supported the House version of the Medicare overhaul bill that gutted funding to rural hospitals and Vitter voted several times to strand rural seniors with no affordable prescription drug coverage. [Vote #332, Passage of HR 1, 6/27/03; Vote #510, Motion on HR 1, 9/23/03; Vote #524, Motion on HR 1, 9/30/03; Vote #528, Motion on HR 1, 10/1/03] Vitter Opposed Creation of LaCHIP David Vitter was one of only 15 representatives in the Louisiana Legislature who opposed creating LaCHIP in 1998 at a time when Louisiana had an estimated 280,000 uninsured children. [Legislative Voting Report, SB 78, Vote on 4/13/98; Times-Picayune, 7/12/98; Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, LaCHIP Homepage (http://www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/?ID=119)] # # # [1] CQ Voting Studies; Roll Call Votes