Memo: Inhofe puts politics first

As the Republican Party revs up its convention to celebrate the nomination of John McCain and putting "County First," Jim Inhofe continues to hold onto "Politics First." John McCain has bucked his party and his president on issues such as defense spending, tax cuts, health care and the environment. This election year, Americans are concerned with finding solutions to tough problems. Inhofe, however, continues to demonstrate both in his rhetoric and votes that he is committed to party and politics first.



FACT: Inhofe Votes With His Party and With President Bush

From 1987 to 2007, Inhofe voted with his Party, on average, almost 97% of the time. Since Bush took office in 2001, Inhofe has, on average, voted with the President over 92% of the time.

[CQ Member Profile, Inhofe]



Here are just a few examples where Inhofe voted with his party and president even when Oklahoma soldiers and working families needed him to take a stand for us:



NATIONAL SECURITY AND TAKING CARE OF OUR TROOPS



Inhofe Opposed Urging President Bush to Detail Cost Estimate for Military Operations in Iraq & Afghanistan. In 2005, Inhofe opposed an amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that any funds for ongoing military operations overseas, including those in Afghanistan and Iraq, should be included in the president's annual budget request and urge the president to detail cost estimates for ongoing overseas military operations by Sept. 1, 2005. [Vote 96, 4/18/05]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY





Inhofe Voted to Hide the Cost of the Iraq War by Removing Funding from the Budget. In June 2004, Inhofe voted against an amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that any funds for ongoing military operations overseas, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, should be included in the president's annual budget request and that such funds, when allocated in appropriations bills, should be placed in specific accounts. Inhofe was one of only nine Senators to vote against this legislation. [Vote 147, 6/24/04]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY





Inhofe voted against rolling back tax cuts to provide additional funding for defense personnel. Inhofe voted against The Landrieu amendment, which would provide for an additional $100 billion for defense personnel and modernization over fiscal 2002 through 2011, including an $8.5 billion increase in fiscal 2002. The increase would be offset by reducing the proposed tax cut by $100 billion. [Vote 71, 4/4/01]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY





Inhofe Voted Against More Armored Vehicles for Troops. In April 2005, Inhofe voted against appropriating an additional $213 million to the army for the purchase of up-armored high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, known as humvees. [Vote 108, 4/21/05]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY



MIDDLE CLASS TAX RELIEF



Inhofe has repeatedly supported Bush administration on tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. In 2003, Inhofe voted for a bill that cut taxes by $330 billion and lowered taxes on capital gains and dividends. However, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, more than two-thirds of the tax cuts in the conference report will go to the top ten percent of taxpayers, and the top one percent of taxpayers will receive 39 percent of the tax cuts, while the bottom 60 percent of taxpayers will only get 8.6 percent of the tax cuts. [Source: Vote 179, 5/15/03 & Vote 196, 5/23/03]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY





Inhofe voted against rolling back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to provide tax relief to working families. Inhofe voted against the McCain amendment to H.R.1836, which was an amendment to limit the tax reduction in the 39.6 percent marginal rate bracket to one percentage point, to 38.6 percent, and increase the maximum taxable income subject to the 15 percent rate. [Vote 126, 5/21/01]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY





DECREASING DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL



Voted Against Amendment to Research Effects of Climate Change, Greenhouse Gases, to Reduce Dependence on Foreign Oil. On October 30 2003, Inhofe voted against Senate Amendment 2028 (Lieberman, D-Connecticut), an amendment that sought to research the effects of climate change, greenhouse gases and to reduce dependence on foreign oil. The amendment failed 55-43, with six Republicans voting for it and nine Democrats voting against it. [Vote 420, 10/30/03]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY





Inhofe voted against imposing mandatory limits on carbon emissions, fossil fuel emissions and dependence on foreign oil. He also voted against raising requirements and instituting guidelines to promote renewable energy. Inhofe voted to table the Carper, D-Del., amendment to the Daschle, D-S.D., substitute amendment. The Carper amendment would require new regulations for automobiles manufactured after the model year 2006 that reduce the amount of oil consumed by at least 1 million barrels per day by 2015. [Vote 90, 4/25/02]

MCCAIN AND INHOFE VOTED DIFFERENTLY





Whether it comes to veterans, the war on terrorism and in Iraq, or on middle class tax cuts, Inhofe is simply out of touch and not about finding solutions. After 22 years in Washington and 40 years in office, he has lost his way and forgotten that representing Oklahoma and the country is about putting people before politics.



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