Peter Roskam Casts Anti-Family Vote to Oppose Paid Parental Leave

On June 10, 2009, in Executive Compensation, Healthcare, Middle Class, Peter Roskam, Peter Roskam's Corporate Agenda, by RSR
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If I don’t have much good to say about Peter Roskam these days, I can at least credit him for being consistent. Roskam is quite consistently opposed to anything that might possibly benefit an ordinary working man or woman at the expense of the giant corporations and wealthy individuals whose interests he uses his seat in Congress to represent.

It was no surprise when Peter Roskam voted against the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009 on June 4, 2009. Congressman Roskam has been a fierce advocate of unlimited pay for corporate executives, but God forbid any working mother or father should be given the time and the financial wherewithal to care for a new child. Why that would make us no different than those Commie countries like… like Canada!

H.R. 626 provides for 4 weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees surrounding the birth or adoption of a child. Federal employees currently receive 12 weeks of unpaid leave (as do all employees subject to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993). The bill further provides that the employees can use accumulated sick time and vacation time to convert some or all of the balance of that 12 weeks into paid time. Finally, the Office of Personnel Management would be enabled to extend the paid period to 8 weeks. The measure applies only to federal employees and would be at best a weak immitation of pro-family policies in place in many Western countries. Hell, even Zimbabwe gives mothers 90 days at 100%.

Roskam, of course, in addition to not wanting to spend a dime of our federal tax dollars on a working family, fears that the bill will be a foot in the door for future further enhancements to FMLA, something that Roskam’s corporate overlords at the U.S. Chamber and at the National Association of Manufacturers virulently oppose.

Despite Roskam’s vote, along with those of most of his Republican colleagues, H.R. 626 passed by a vote of  258-154. It will now have to be taken up by the Senate.

Peter Roskam deserves to be shamed for his anti-family vote. Please contact him today.  You can reach him at (202) 225-4561 in Washington or at (630) 893-9670 in Bloomingdale.

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Peter Roskam Throws Hissy Fit on House Floor Over Taxes on Dead Rich Folks

On May 22, 2009, in Economic Justice, Estate Tax, Middle Class, Peter Roskam, Poverty, by RSR
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Received a Tweet from Peter Roskam  wanting to know what I thought about his floor speeech regarding the estate tax, which Peter and other wingnuts like to call the “death tax”.

Well. I always want to do my part to help my Congressman so here goes.

First off,  I was  pleased to hear him name publicly one by one the interest groups to which he is beholden: U.S. Chamber, National Association of Manufacturers, etc.

I was also impressed by Peter’s emotion, the passion that this issue arouses in him. Thought his hairpiece was going to fly off at the end ;) .

What troubles me deeply, however, is that it it is only taxes on rich people that can get Peter aroused this way.  Not homeless veterans on the streets of DuPage County, not children in Wood Dale without adequate health care, not torture and illegal detention authorized by the President and Vice President in Washington. Nope. Just taxes on rich white people in Wheaton, or in this case, rich dead white people in Wheaton.

The truth about the estate tax, which Peter Roskam is unwilling to share with you, is that the estate tax will affect only 0.24 percent of all people who die in 2009, individuals who die with an estate valued at $3.5 million or more or married couples (heterosexual) with an estate of $7 million or more. What’s really sad is that Peter Roskam has chosen to use his seat in Congress, OUR seat in Congress, to represent the financial interests of only that tiny fraction of the residents of his district.

Repealing the estate tax, as Roskam, would have us do, would cost billions in reduced revenue, necessitating either increased taxes on the poor and middle class or major reductions in spending. Cuts to the bloated defense budget, of course, are off limits, to Peter and his Republican colleagues, so cuts would have to be made for things like college financial aid, food stamps, Medicare, veterans services, childrens’ health care – all those programs to help poor and middle class families that Peter has fought against so vigorously during his time in office. More than likely, it would be a combination of both increased taxes and reduced services that would be required to give this expensive gift to a few very wealthy dead people.

So, thanks, Peter for letting me know about your speech.  I honestly have to say though that I didn’t care for it much.

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Peter Roskam Flunks Out

On March 16, 2008, in Congressional Elections, Jill Morgenthaler, Middle Class, Peter Roskam, by RSR
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Peter Roskam ranks among the nation’s worst Congressmen, at least when it comes to his voting record on issues affecting middle class Americans.

This according to the TheMiddleClass.org 2007 Congressional Scorecard issued this month by the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, a non-partisan progressive think tank.

Roskam scored an F on the scorecard based upon his record of consistently voting against measures directed at improving the lot of middle class and low-income Americans including:

  • Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007
  • Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007
  • Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
  • Clean Energy Act of 2007
  • Employee Free Choice Act of 2007
  • Children’s Health Insurance Program Re-authorization Act of 2007
  • Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act of 2007
  • College Cost Reduction Act of 2007
  • Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007
  • Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007
  • Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007

Roskam chose to spend his first year in office pursuing the interests of the wealthiest residents of his district and of large corporations while actively working against legislation that would help the majority of his constituents whose means are more modest. All the while, Roskam railed against the Democrats in Congress for their supposed obstruction. It is clear from this impressive list of no votes that it was Roskam and his Republican colleagues who were attempting to throw up roadblocks.

Illinois Senators Barack Obama and Dick Durbin both scored highly on middle class issues, earning an A+ and an A, respectively.

Republicans are starting to get nervous about Roskam’s prospects this fall, Given Roskam’s appalling voting record and dismissive attitude toward his constituents, I don’t think a successful challenge is impossible.

There is finally a sign of impending activity at Jill Morgenthaler’s campaign website. I hope that we will soon see her taking Roskam to task for his performance.

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Millions for Big Business, Not a Cent for Children

On January 23, 2008, in Economic Justice, Healthcare, Peter Roskam, SCHIP, by RSR
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Peter Roskam continued his self-declared war on “wasteful spending” and “misguided policies” by voting yet again today against the expansion of SCHIP (HR 3963, Children’s Health Insurance Program Extension and Improvement).

The vote was to override the President’s veto of the bill in December. Today’s vote failed to achieve enough votes thanks to the intransigence of Roskam and many of his Roadblock Republican colleagues. Yes, the same Roskam who has enjoyed complaining about excessive partisanship while voting a straight party line in an attempt to obstruct progress by the Democrats in Congress.

This bill, if enacted, would provide health care to 10 million currently uninusred children. Uninsured children are not among Roskam’s legislative priorities. In Roskam’s view, the money needs to be saved to provide aid programs for big business and big tax cuts for his wealthy neighbors.

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