Pete Sessions votes "no" to Home Star Energy Retrofit Act

Last week, the House passed H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, which allocates $6 billion to be used for consumer rebates to make houses more energy efficient. This is a popular bill with bipartisan support; the Senate version of the bill is co-sponsored by Scott Brown (R-MA) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC). The measure is, favored by manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and voters in TX-32!

The House bill passed 246-161 (23 not voting), with Pete Sessions among those voting no. From here, the bill goes to the Senate; read about the benefits of the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act in this article at Grist: Home Star energy retrofit bill passes House". Read the text of the bill and follow its progress through the Senate at Gov Track

Pete Sessions votes "no" to Puerto Rico Democracy Act

Last Thursday, the House paved the way for Puerto Rico self-determination by passing the Puerto Rico Democracy Act. This is part of a multi-step process which will eventually allow Puerto Rico to decide for themselves if they want complete independence from the United States, to remain a commonwealth, become a 51st state, or to be independent with some sort of special political relationship with the U.S.

The bill, H.R. 2499, passed 223-169, with Pete Sessions among the "no" voters. From there, it will go to the Senate.

For the roll call vote, and to follow the progress of this bill see Gov Track.

Pete Sessions votes for Iran sanctions

Pete Sessions joined the majority in Congress, voting yes to the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act. From Congress.org:

On Motion to Instruct Conferees
04/22/2010
House Roll Call No. 219
111th Congress, 2nd Session

Passed: 403-11 (see complete tally)
The House voted to move forward with a bill to sanction Iran by approving this motion to appoint House members to a conference committee with the Senate. The House version of this bill focuses on imposing sanctions on multinational companies that deal with Iran's petroleum sector, while the Senate's broader version would prohibit the U.S. government from purchasing goods from companies that are subject to sanctions under existing law and expand sanctions on foreign companies investing more than $20 million in Iran's oil and gas sector.

Pete Sessions Votes "no" to clean estuaries

From Congress.Org:

Clean Estuaries Act of 2010

On Passage
04/15/2010
House Roll Call No. 209
111th Congress, 2nd Session

Passed: 278-128 (see complete tally)

The House approved this bill that would authorize $50 million annually through fiscal 2016 for the EPA's National Estuary Program and would require the EPA to evaluate estuary management plans every four years. The bill now goes to the Senate.

GOP Strip Club Fundraisers--why the double standard?

Thanks to the Sessions Watch reader who brought this story to our attention; it's not exactly news that Pete Sessions organizes fundraisers at Las Vegas strip clubs, but it's noteworthy GOP leadership has said nothing about it. Why are Republican leaders calling for Michael Steele to resign over the "strippergate" scandal and not demanding the same of Pete Sessions?

Lone Star Project wants to know Why is Pete Sessions getting a pass? (The link takes you to the article and a video with footage from one of the Las Vegas strip clubs Sessions patronizes--the video is not family friendly or "work safe," but it doesn't auto-start, so the link is okay if you don't press that "play" button).

Libertarian candidate John Jay Myers has also jumped into the fray, making his own YouTube burlesque video; it's pretty tame compared to the Lone Star Project video, but I'll still just post the link instead of embedding: Dear Pete Sessions, John Jay Myers fan Christina takes on Pete.

Pete Sessions holds town hall meeting on healthcare

Tonight, Pete Sessions will hold a health care town hall meeting in Richardson; on Wednesday, he'll be in Irving, once again ignoring his constituents in the southern sector of the district.

Knowing Pete, he probably won't deliver any solid information about how you and your family can benefit from the new reforms of the insurance industry, but if anti-reform rhetoric is your idea of a fun evening out, bring your own popcorn to one of the following events:

Richardson Town Hall Meeting

Monday, March 29, 2010 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Charles W. Eisemann Center
2351 Performance Drive
Richardson, Texas 75082


Irving Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, April 7, 2010
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Irving City Hall
825 W. Irving Boulevard
Irving, TX 75060

For even more fun, play GOP Talking Points Bingo!

Pete Sessions campaigns for Jon Barela in New Mexico

Again, no editorial comment, just a note for future reference:

Sessions To Campaign for Barela in New Mexico

Excerpt:

National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Pete Sessions of Texas will be making an appearance in New Mexico this weekend as the "special guest" at a breakfast rally for GOP House candidate Jon Barela...

...Barela, former chair of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, faces an uphill battle to unseat freshman Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) in the Democratic-leaning district, and has put up only modest fundraising numbers...