Jo Bonner: One week in votes

April 25, 2007
H.R.1591 – Small Business and Work Opportunity Act of 2007
Bonner – no
Final vote - 218 – 208, 2 Present (Roll no.265)
This was the emergency supplemental for Iraq war bill that Bush vetoed. Either Jo didn't want to fund the troops or he believes that accountability is only for school teachers.

H.R.1332 - To improve the access to capital programs of the Small Business Administration
Bonner – yes
Final vote - 380 – 45 (Roll no.263)
Jo supports the Small Business Administration.

H.R. 493 – Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Bonner – yes
Final vote - 420 - 3 (Roll no. 261)
It's about time this bill got passed.

H.R.1678 – Reauthorize the Torture Victims Relief Act of 2007
Bonner - yes
Final vote - 418 - 7 (Roll no. 260)
Note that this bill is intended for people tortured by OTHER governments.

H.Con.Res.7 - Calling on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and to step up their efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur
Bonner – yes
Final vote - 425 – 1 (Roll no. 259)
Always easy to tell someone else to do the right thing. The nay was Rep. Ronald Paul [R, TX-14] (a libertarian)

Apr 26, 2007

H.Res.320 - Congratulating the University of Tennessee women's basketball team for winning the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.
Bonner - yes
Final vote - 415 - 0 (Roll no. 266)
Who wouldn't congratulate winners?

Apr 27, 2007

H.R.249 – To restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros
Bonner – no
Final vote - 277 - 137 (Roll no. 269)
Why does Jo hate wild horses?

May 01, 2007

H.Res.298: To commend the University of Florida Gators for their historic win in the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
Bonner - yes
Final vote – 415 - 0, 4 Present (Roll no. 272)
John Barrow [D, GA-12], Jack Kingston [R, GA-1], John Linder [R, GA-7], and Zachary T. Space [D, OH-18] are sore losers.

H.Con.Res.112: Supporting the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.
Bonner – no
Final vote - 345 - 73, 1 Present (Roll no. 271)
What is so hard about saying that child care workers OUGHT to have a decent wage?

H.Res.334 – Supporting the goals and ideals of National Community College Month
Bonner - yes
Final vote - 420 - 0 (Roll no. 270)
Jo supports education.

To sum it up; Jo likes to tell other people to behave. He supports small business, winning sports teams and community colleges. He doesn't support wild horses or child care workers. He would rather not fund the troops than set goals. Or maybe not funding the troops is his way of bringing them home now.

Conversation with a war supporter

We were waiting for a High School club meeting to end. We talked about the weather, and not enough sleep, and our kids’ plans for college. When she mentioned another child considering the military so that he could pay for college, I couldn’t resist easing the conversation over a little.

“The military can be a good way to pay for college, provided you survive it."

[Puzzled look]

“Iraq. A lot of kids have died there.”

“Yes, but they are very dedicated to the cause.”

“Actually, there have been record numbers of desertions, and a record number of West Point graduates are not reenlisting.”

“But what can we do? They hate our culture. They want to kill us.”

“They don’t hate our culture. They just don’t like us running their country.”

“They hate our culture.”

“Even in Iran, most of them like the American people. They just don’t like our government trying to run their country. They would like to have more freedom like us, but they want to do it themselves.”

“Well, a small minority of them hate our culture.”

“A small minority of OUR culture hates our culture.”

She had to stop and think about that idea. It was just small talk between two mothers passing the time, but who knows? Maybe she will consider the idea a little more. Maybe she’ll repeat it to someone else.