Buchanan’s voting record speaks volumes

We elect representatives to Congress in order to insure that our government has a positive impact on our lives. Yet our own congressman, Rep. Vern Buchanan, has voted for all of the following new laws in the current congressional session:

▪ H.J.Res.83 lowers requirements of employers in dangerous industries to keep accurate records of worker injuries from five years to only six months.

▪ H.J.Res.38 allows coal companies to dump untreated waste into local rivers and streams.

▪ H.J.Res.37 eliminates requirements that companies with serious OSHA violations, seeking government contracts, disclose such violations for the last three years.

▪ H.J.Res.42 allows the drug testing of applicants for unemployment compensation.

▪ S.J.Res.34 allows Internet service providers to sell an individual’s private browsing history.

▪ H.J.Res.69 repeals a ruling by the Department of the Interior, which made it illegal for hunters to kill hibernating bears and wolves in National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska.

▪ H.J.Res.40 repeals a National Instant Criminal Background Check System ruling, which prevented mentally ill persons from purchasing firearms.

▪ H.J.Res.44 allows the extraction of natural resources from public lands without adequate transparency or public discussion (as previously required).

▪ H.J.Res.58 lowers teacher education preparation and performance standards for states and institutions of higher education.

▪ H.J.Res57 rolls back Civil Rights protections that insured minority students the opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and closed educational achievement gaps (as provided in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965).

▪ H.J.Res.41 repeals a rule, which required U.S. energy companies to disclose any payments involving domestic or foreign governments to the Securities and Exchange Commission

Is this the kind of legislation we want our congressman voting for? Maybe it is time to start thinking about electing a new representative to Congress.

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 2:23 PM with the headline "Buchanan’s voting record speaks volumes."